The Ties That Bound
by Senna2
Summary: This is the story of a girl who lost everyone she ever loved, who gave up everything she ever loved. Discover the life of Lily Evans and her friends as they make their way in Hogwarts, and in life. **COMPLETED!!!!!!!!!!!**
1. Of News and Memories

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Disclaimer: I own Headmaster West, Jack Aster, and Evan. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling who is a GENIUS. Oh yes, and it's my first fic so please be nice and tell me what you think! Luv ya lots-Senna

The Ties That Bound

Part I

Chapter 1: Of News and Memories

Lily Evans sat in a large, triangular, purple room. She sat idly twirling her wavy, shoulder-length, dark red hair around a finger. Lily was fourteen years old, and she attended Salem Magical Institute. She was very bright, but since she didn't apply herself to her work, she just barely passed the terms. Lily also got into a lot of trouble, mostly for mouthing off to people and starting fights, only one of which she had ended up in the hospital wing for. One couldn't really blame Lily for the way she acted, not if one knew her past

Lily had been born into a muggle family in America in the state of Illinois. She had one sister named Petunia, who used to be her best friend. The worst day of her entire life was one evening when she was seven and Petunia was nine. On that evening, Lily had been playing in her parlor with Petunia, when there was a loud crash. Startled, Lily and Petunia had run to join their parents at the front door. Standing in front of the four of them were many hooded figures in black robes. 

"Who are you?" her father had demanded. "What do you want?" The tallest hooded figure had stepped forward. 

"LilyLily," the figure said in an icy voice. "the flower." The figure stepped forward and tried to grab Lily, but her father knocked the hand out of the way. 

"Run girls! Run!" he yelled. Lily and Petunia ran out the backdoor and hid in the neighbors yard. A few minutes later, smoke began filtering out of the house, followed by great flames licking their way up the walls. The figures came outside, and the one who had spoken before took out a long stick, tapped the door with it, and muttered a few funny words. The flames continued to engulf the house, while the two girls watched in horror, waiting desperately for their parents to come out. Meanwhile, the figures held a small conference. 

"Shouldn't we search the area to make sure the little brat hasn't escaped?" said one figure with a nasal voice. 

"She is very young," said the first figure. "she has most certainly been trapped inside." The figure raised his long stick again, and this time, a horrible, frightening skull with a snake coming out of the mouth flew into the sky. Without another word, the figures disappeared. As soon as they left, the fire began to make the house collapse. 

"Petunia, where are mommy and daddy?" asked Lily. For a child of seven, she was very intelligent and knew why her parents had not come out of the destroyed house yet, but she didn't want to accept it. "Why?" Petunia took Lily in her arms and began to sob, as did Lily. Just as suddenly as the fire had begun, it stopped. As if driven by an unseen force, the girls were pushed inside the wreckage, still smoking, with tiny patches on fire. There, the girls saw what no young children should have ever had to see. Lily and Petunia saw their parents lying on the floor, still alive, but only just. 

"Mommy! Daddy!" Lily cried. She rushed over to them, hurrying behind Petunia. 

"Lily," her father struggled to whisper. "Lily they will come for you-stay away from-stay away from-"

"Petunia-" their mother cut in. "Take care of your sister-" with a last breath, both parents were gone forever

Lily shuddered as she thought of that horrible day. After that, she and Petunia had been sent to an orphanage with many tough kids. They both quickly learned that one had to be strong in order to survive, in order to defend you, and to never let their emotions show. They had gone from foster home to foster home. None of them lasted very long; no one seemed to want two girls. They had had to live on the streets at times as well

Then, when the girls were with their ninth foster family, a very extraordinary thing happened. On Lily's eleventh birthday, a very large barn owl with a letter flew in through the kitchen window. The letter was for Lily, saying she was a witch and was invited to study magic at Salem Magical Institute in Boston. Lily's foster parents didn't believe in the magical school, so the school sent supplies and bottle green robes for her. Meanwhile, Petunia began to become jealous of Lily. She didn't think it was fair that Lily turned out to be special, and began to despise the sister she had once cherished. You see, Petunia wasn't drop dead gorgeous, or particularly bright either. She had never really shone in anything. She couldn't stand the fact that her sister was special, and that she was ordinary. She could barely look at Lily without seething in anger. Never again would their sisterly bond be the same. 

At Salem, Lily enjoyed studying magic, but didn't apply herself to her work. Lily didn't have many friends, but that didn't mean she was bitter. She couldn't stand to see people picking on people who weren't there own size. She didn't trust the other kids because in order to survive at the orphanage and on the streets, Lily had taught herself not to get close to anyone. She occasionally hung out with a girl named Megan, but that was only on certain occasions. Her teachers tried time and time again to help her, but Lily pushed them away

Lily stopped twirling her hair as a tall man, not more than twenty-five years of age, entered the room. He was the headmaster of Salem, Headmaster West, and also the Charms professor. Charms were the only Lily really cared about, and she made an effort in that class. Headmaster West was the only person at Salem Lily actually trusted, also. He sat down at his wide, oak desk. 

"I'm sure you know why you're here," said West. Lily rolled her eyes. _Yay. I get another lecture about fighting and getting bad grades. Why don't they buzz off? _

"Yeah, I know why I'm here," said Lily. She had gotten into a fight with a very obnoxious boy named Jack Aster, but Lily liked to call him jackass. Lily didn't appreciate the fact that he hit on her constantly. He had done so today in right after Potions

Lily was about to leave the Potions classroom when Aster blocked her way. She had tried to walk around him, but he kept blocking her. She had stared at him icily, which made him loose his cool for a moment. He recovered quickly, and smiled his suave smile. Any girl besides her would've swooned and been on cloud nine if Aster had noticed them. Not Lily. 

"What do you want, Jackass," she asked angrily. He sighed. 

"Lily, why are you being so cold? I just wanted to talk to you." She said nothing, just looked at him with her stony glare. "Maybe I could warm you up." He reached up to stroke her face, but Lily caught his hand before it got there. 

"Don't touch me," she said. A smarter boy would have run away by now. Aster smirked and slid his arm around her waist, and began to slide his hand up her back. Lily slapped him. Hard. She had become quite good at slapping him. Aster glared at her, gingerly fingering the dark red mark on his cheek. 

"What the hell is wrong with you, you crazy bitch?" he yelled. The corridor was silent. All of a sudden, a first year named Evan spoke. 

"Don't talk to Lily that way!" Evan was Lily's only friend, the one person she cared about at Salem, besides West. He was like the little brother she never had. Aster pretended to look terrified. 

"And I guess I should listen to you, when you're half my size." He walked towards Evan. "I ought to teach you a lesson in not interrupting other people." Aster flexed his muscles, and Evan stared at him stonily, clearly unimpressed by the little speech. Lily admired that about him. He didn't give a rat's ass about what people thought about him, and he always stood his ground. 

"Leave him out of this," said Lily. Aster turned back to her. 

"Oh yea?" he asked, in a mock scared voice. "And what if I don't?" BAM. POW. Aster lay on his back groaning, his nose bleeding, Lily towering over him. 

"Well, that's what happens when you don't," she whispered, and walked away

Lily came back to reality with a jolt. She couldn't help smiling at the look of terror on Aster's face after she had hit him. West put his head in his hands. 

"Why Lily? Why do you keep fighting?"

"Instinct," said Lily lightly. 

"This isn't the orphanage or the streets, Lily, this is Salem Magical Institute! You're safe here!" exclaimed West. "Now tell me why." 

"Jackass-" Lily began, but stopped when West cleared his throat. "-fine, fine. Aster hit on me again, ok? I'm sorry if I don't appreciate him trying to seduce me every waking minute of the day. This first year Evan saw and he was defending me and Aster was going to cream him but Evan didn't back down because he would never back down, so I-I beat him up. Can I go yet, or are you going to make your little speech about violence again? I've memorized it by now, you don't need to repeat it. Want me to recite it for you?" West ignored what Lily said about 'his little speech about violence', and was trying hard to decide whether to smile or be angry. 

"You're friends with Evan?" he asked softly. Lily nodded, not embarrassed at all. 

"He's a pretty cool dude. I like him. He beat the pants off me in chess," said Lily.

"And Mr. Aster wasn't respecting you?" 

"You bet your as-I mean, um, buttons he was disrespecting me," muttered Lily, still angry. West nodded.

"I'll talk to Mr. Aster. And I'm glad you've finally made a friend. And that you care enough about him to protect him from danger. Just don't beat anyone up again, all right?" Lily nodded. West had seen a lot of good in Lily from the first time he saw her, even though most people couldn't see it. He knew that her heart wasn't made of stone, that inside, she was just a lost, scared little girl. Living in orphanages had made Lily unable to talk about her feelings at times, and living on the streets had made her suspicious of people. But, slowly but surely, Lily was learning to trust and share her feelings. She had proven that by making friends with Evan. West laughed despite himself. 

"What the hell are you laughing at?" demanded Lily, angrily. He quickly stopped laughing. 

"You are one of the most complex people I have ever known."

"Riiight," said Lily slowly, wondering if her headmaster was a little empty upstairs. 

"Anyway, Lily, there was another reason I called you to my office," said West. "Do you know of a school in Scotland named Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" 

"What kind of stupid name is Hogwarts?" asked Lily, wondering if the people of Scotland were also a bit empty upstairs. 

"I take it you haven't heard of the school," said West. "It's the best school of magic in the U.K. You know about the exchange program we do at Salem, right?"

"Yup," said Lily, wondering what all of this could have to do with her. Every year, Salem sent three students to different schools around the world for those three students to spend a year of their magical schooling there. Only the best and brightest were ever chosen to participate in the program. 

"The teachers and I have reached a decision on who is going, and where. We have decided to send you to Hogwarts." Lily fell out of the chair she was sitting in, and didn't get up for a few minutes. West began to get worried and think that the girl had died of shock, when she suddenly sprang back up. 

"Me? Go to Hogwarts? Why? Is this a trick?" Lily asked in a rush. 

"You. Go to Hogwarts. Because you are very gifted and we want you to work to your full potential. No, it's not a trick. If it were, I would have burst out laughing by now. I'm not very good at tricks," said West. Lily smiled and squealed. She began to run a round the room, and then proceeded to jump up and down on the couch singing I Feel Good'. 

"Lily, come down from there," said West, but Lily paid no attention. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Lily, I'll give you a chocolate frog if you stop jumping on my two hundred galleon couch!" Lily immediately stopped jumping up and down. 

"Professor," she said. "I-I-" Lily burst into tears. Not sad ones, but happy ones. She had always wanted to travel and see new places, and now, a little of her dream was coming true. West hugged her. "Thank-you," said Lily when she had stopped crying. "You're an awesome professor." 

"And you're one hell of a student," said West. Lily couldn't help herself, and began to laugh.

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If everyone is a dear and reviews, I'll put up more chapters, or else I'll stop because no one has given me any feedback on this! :'( Please review!


	2. Farewell and Hello

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A/N: People reviewed my story! Wowzers! I am SO happy! I got 10 whole reviews!!!!!! **Dances around with Popple singing BINGO at the top of her lungs** Thank you to all the lovely, kind, and caring people who reviewed! Do it again and I might sing a REAL song! Riiight, um, I'll shut up now. Oh, by the way, this story is the prequal to another one of my stories called Futures Past. This is the first part of what I'm thinking will be a trilogy-prequel kinda thing. I forgot to mention all that in the first installment. Whew that was long. 

DISCLAIMER: I own Megan (I owned her last time too, I just forgot to mention it), Jack Aster, West, Evan, and Trewyn. When there are plain Italics, its Lily's thoughts and when there are stars around them or they're bold, it's the voice in her head. Enjoy! Senna

The Ties That Bound

Part I

Chapter 2: Farewell and Hello

Lily shoved her trunk into the luggage compartment of the Hogwarts Express, and looked around for an empty compartment. When she found one, she took out her muggle CD player and listened to music. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the awful memory of leaving Salem. 

Lily had said good-bye to Megan, who had burst into tears and hugged her so hard that her ribs were still aching. She hadn't quite known how to react to Megan, except hug her back and tell her that she would be back at the end of the year, and that she would owl her. She was still shocked that Megan had cried when she had said good-bye. Lily hadn't thought that Megan had liked her that much. She had planned on not saying goodbye to Evan. It would make going to Hogwarts sound permanent, meaning that she would never see him again. She couldn't bring herself to do it, and was sure that Evan would understand.

Lily was walking across the Salem grounds for the last time, soaking in the beauty of the forest, the smell of the grass, and the familiarity of it all. In a few minutes, she'd be leaving here to go to a new place, with new people, new things, and new ways. All of a sudden, she saw a small figure running towards her, yelling her name. Shocked, she realized it was Evan. He finally reached her and glared at her while trying to catch his breath. 

"You-you-you were-" he panted, trying to speak before he had breath to speak with. Lily looked at him surprised, having no clue why he was so angry. "You were going to leave without saying goodbye!" His voice cracked with emotion as he yelled at her. Lily felt completely stupid. _Why didn't I say goodbye? Why didn't I realize I would have hurt his feelings_?_ **Smooth move, Evans, you sure are bright**_. 

"Oh my god, Evan, I'm so sorry," she apologized, still angry at herself. "I-I didn't think that you would care if I said goodbye or not-"

"Whaddahaya mean 'you didn't think that I would care if you said goodbye or not'? Of course I cared! I thought you were my friend! I always thought of you as my sister, except cool!" She was, not for the first time, momentarily stunned, at how easily Evan could express his feelings. He was one of the few who could. He was now turned away from her, his mouth in a straight line, looking down at the ground. Lily squatted down in front of him. 

"I am your friend, and I love you like a brother," she said softly, as he shifted his gaze to meet hers. "And don't you ever forget that. I am so sorry that I hurt your feelings. I-I just didn't want to say goodbye. That would be too permanent, like I'd never see you again, and I don't want that to happen." **_Shit. Damn him. I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry_** Evan stared at her piercingly. She knew he was trying to read her, to figure out if what she had just said was true or if she was making it up. His blue-gray eyes softened, and she knew she was forgiven. Lily hugged him, and he hugged her back. 

"Just remember," she said when they broke apart. "if you don't send me owls I swear I'll tell Amy that you were the one who sent her the note. And if Jackass's ego ever gets bigger than his brain again, you set him straight, I know you can." Evan grinned evilly. Lily bit her lip. She was going to miss him more than he knew. He always knew how to cheer her up when she was down, he was one of the few people who could tell _when_ she was down, he knew about her past, and he wasdifferent. In a good way. Lily hated people who went with the crowd, as if they had no brain. She caught herself quickly, and hid her sadness for another time, when she was alone.

"Y-you promise you'll be back next year?" he asked hopefully. She nodded. He looked her square in the eye. "I'm going to miss you, Lil." 

"I'll miss you too," she whispered. _More than you know_. "I'll see you next year. I promise." 

"See you!" Evan began to run back to the school. 

"Evan!" He stopped and turned to her. "Don't forget me." He smiled and ran back to school. 

Lily had tried to use a muggle phone to say goodbye to Petunia, but Petunia wouldn't talk to her, so she had sent her a letter by muggle mail saying good bye. She had thought that saying goodbye to Evan had been the hardest thing she had ever done. That was before she had said goodbye to her teachers, and West. 

Lily lived at Salem during the summer, because the foster family she had lived with before coming to Salem became convinced that she would poison there food or murder them in their sleep now that she was a witch, and disowned her. Salem was her home; she had no other. Nothing would ever take its place in her heart. Lily loved and knew every nook and cranny of her school almost as well as the person who had built it. In her second year, she had found a room during one of her wanderings, that was circular and had an entire wall covered with windows. There were bean bag chairs, comfy couches and armchairs, and lava lamps. She loved it because she could look outside, but no one could look in because it was invisible from the outside. She had spent a whole night walking outside of the school trying to find it, but she couldn't. Lily came there when she needed time alone, or when she wanted to think or read. It was her sanctuary, her haven, and her refuge when she couldn't handle the outside world. 

Lily had celebrated three birthdays there. Each year, the teachers would gather and sing her happy birthday, and give her small gifts. They were her family, she had no other since Petunia did not acknowledge her as her sister. Years past, she had always remained indifferent at these occasions, pretending not to appreciate what they did for her. She hadn't known how to express her appreciation, and she had told herself that if she did, it would make her vulnerable. This year, however, was different. 

The day she was to leave Salem was her fifteenth birthday, and, as usual, the staff sang her happy birthday. Lily looked into their smiling faces. _Why are they being so nice? I never did anything for them. I never worked in their classes, and I always blew them off when they tried to help me. But, they're still singing to me, like they care or something_. And then it dawned on her. 

They did care. 

It all made sense. Why they tried to help her, why they were so kind, and why they hadn't given up on her. They cared about her. Tears began to fall down her cheeks halfway through the song. 

"Lily, what's wrong?" asked West anxiously. "What happened? Someone get her a napkin or something." Lily looked up into the faces of the teachers surrounding her. 

"You care," she whispered. West smiled. 

"Yea." 

"Th-thank you." Lily didn't know what else to say, and cried harder. West hugged her, and looked at his staff. 

"Well," he said. "She's finally realized that not everyone in the world is out to get her, and that decent people exist." Everyone cheered. 

Lily's heart broke more and more as West drove her to the airport. She had just realized how much the people at Salem cared about her, and now she was leaving. _No. I'll be back next year. I can start over_. Yea, that's what she'd do. But stillit hurt that she had been so cruel all those years. _But that's the past. This is now_. Yea, this was now. West helped her check in and fill out her papers. He checked her in at the gate, and then handed her an owl from seemingly out of nowhere. It was a beautiful, pure, white, snowy owl, with shocking, sparkingling, emerald, green eyes, just like Lily. 

"This is why I didn't give you a birthday present at your shindig this year," he said as she mouthed wordlessly. 

"Professor-oh my gosh-look at its eyes!" was all Lily could say. **_Mind your manners, Evans_**! "I mean, oh my god, thank you!" She hugged West. He had been the closest thing she had had to a father, after her own had been killed. He had always been there for her, tried to help her, and talked to her whenever she needed him to. 

"Lily, what are we going to do without you?" he muttered. 

"At least now I won't be bothering everyone, and you don't have to worry about me," she answered. He gave her a weird look. 

"Whoever said you bothered us?" 

"No one, I just figured-"

"You were never a bother," he told her, and she knew he meant it. "You were, um, _difficult_, at times, but we always loved you." 

"But I always blew everyone off-"

"You were lost. And scared. And you've finally come home after the storm." 

"And now I'm leaving again." Lily bit he lip. **_Don't you dare cry_**. 

"Don't cry, Lils, you'll be back before you know it! Its only for a year. And you'll get to learn from Albus Dumbledore! He taught me everything I know!" Lily grinned. 

"I guess I can't hope to learn much then," she said. West frowned. 

"Oh, you're really funny. Keep it up and I might reconsider sending you." The flight attendant began to announce boarding.

"I don't want to go to Hogwarts," she said, suddenly scared. "I want to go back to Salem. Send someone else. I can't do this." She began to walk back the way she came. West grabbed her. 

"Look at me Lily," and she obeyed. "You can do this. You can do this if you try to. You're going to have so much fun that by the time the year is over you're going to be begging me to let you go back." Lily laughed. "You will! You're going to experience a kind of learning like nothing before! Just give it a chance. If I didn't think you could do this, I wouldn't be letting you go. Can you give it a try? For me?" Lily took a deep breath and nodded. He smiled and hugged her one last time. "Knock their socks off, kiddo." 

"I'll miss you," she whispered. "I promise I'll be back." 

It seemed so long ago now. Lily tried not to think of what she was leaving behind, and tried to imagine what she would find at Hogwarts. When that turned out to be pointless, she decided to try to sleep. Just a few minutes before Lily was almost asleep, the compartment door slid open with a loud bang. Lily's eyes flew open, and she saw four boys walk in, though they took no notice of her. One boy was small and looked like a rat, one boy had black hair that reminded her of a scrubbing-brush and wore glasses, one boy also had black hair, but looked insane, and one boy had different shades of brown hair with a few hints of silver. 

"That was great!" exclaimed the insane-looking one, howling with laughter. The other three began to laugh as well. Lily turned her music up louder and stared out the window. She couldn't wait to find out if there was a big pasture at Hogwarts filled with winged horses that students could ride whenever they wanted to like there was at Salem. Once again, the pangs of homesickness began to stab her heart. She wished she had kept her owl, Serenity. It would have been some comfort. 

"You and Trewyn were practically eating each other in there," said the brown haired boy. 

"I ought to do that more often," said the one with unkempt hair. He looked lovesick. "She's good." The same boy, who still hadn't noticed Lily, was about to sit on her. Lily cleared her throat loudly, and the boy jumped up. 

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," said the boy. 

"Maybe you should try looking at the area in which you're about to place your ass before you actually place it there," suggested Lily sarcastically, but in a sweet voice. The boy grinned. 

"Maybe I should," he said. "But if I looked at the area in which I'm about to place my ass in before I actually place it there, I wouldn't meet as many hot girls." 

"You must be very antisocial if you have to sit on people to meet them." 

"At least I don't have to have people sit on me to let them know that I'm in a room. Everyone knows when I'm in a room." 

"Maybe I was hoping that if I didn't say anything you'd leave," she snapped back, annoyed. She didn't want to talk to anyone, she was too busy pining. The boy, however, seemed to want to carry on, but was at a temporary loss for words. _Ha_! she thought._ One me, zero Scrubbing-brush Head_! Lily took advantage at this silence to return to her music, hoping that the four intruders would understand that she was done with them and she wanted them to leave. Unfortunately, they didn't. 

"So who are you?"

"You don't pick up on hints very well, do you?" asked Lily, pissed. The four boys glanced at each other. 

"Huh?" they answered in unison. _I'll count to ten. One, two, three, fourfivesixseveneightnineten_.

"I'm Lily. Will you go now?"

"Lily what?" asked the brown haired boy. _What IS this, first grade_?

"Lily EVANS, happy now?"

"Very much so, thank you!" Lily rolled her eyes and went back to her music. The boys still sat, staring at her. 

"What now?" she asked angrily. 

"What year are you going to be in?" asked the boy who seemed insane. 

"Fifth," she snapped, and the boys looked as if Christmas had come early. 

"That means you'll be in our year!" exclaimed the insane boy. 

"Words can't express how thrilled I am." 

"Nor I, milady."

"Don't call me that." Lily could see that the boys were not going to go away. "Why'd you come in this compartment? I'm sure there were plenty of other good compartments!" 

"Because James here had a hard time keeping his hands off of his girlfriend Trewyn, who was having difficulties keeping her hands off of him, and we were cheering them on. Then the witch with the cart of food sent us a way because we were acting inappropriately," explained the brown haired boy in a rush. 

"And James would bewhich of you?" asked Lily. Scrubbing-brush head stuck out his hand. 

"James Potter, nice to meet you." 

"Charmed. I'd rather not have your hands anywhere on mine," replied Lily. _There is no way I'm EVER going to let HIM kiss me. What a jerk, 'having a hard time keeping his hands off what's-her-face'. Men are all the same, just like Jackass_. James smiled mischievously. 

"Are you sure?" he asked, winking. "I'm pretty good with my hands." Lily fought the urge to set the boy straight. She had promised to try to stop fighting, but the boy was making it very difficult not to break her promise. 

"Oh, I'm very sure," she said. He seemed disappointed. 

"Oh. Ok." Lily wanted more than anything else for the boys to go away, but then a part of herwanted them to stay? _Good Lord_. Yes, a part of her wanted them to stay. She couldn't believe herself. She actually liked them. As annoying and as perverted as they were, they were kind, and funny. Plus, they were keeping her mind off of Salem, and almost making her look forward to school. 

"If he's James then who the hell are the rest of you?" she asked. The brown haired boy raised an eyebrow at her. 

"Um, is that how all Americans greet each other?" 

"Nope, just this one."

"I see," he said slowly. "Well, I'm Remus Lupin."

"Sirius Black," said the insane boy, and he bowed, which looked weird because he was still sitting. 

"Peter Pettigrew," said the rat-faced boy. Lily nodded. The train had slowed down to a stop by then, and students were getting off. Lily still hadn't changed into her Hogwarts uniform; she was wearing muggle clothes consisting of a tank top and jeans. 

"You'd better change into your robes before you get off the train," said Peter, noticing her apparel. Lily pretended to be shocked. 

"Really? I thought we could wear this in school!" Peter shook his head. 

"No, you have to wear-"

"I was being sarcastic," said Lily, and she and the three other boys laughed. "Everyone out, I need to change." James, Sirius, and Remus looked at each other with identical evil grins. 

"Are you sure you want us out?" asked James. "I think you might find changing a lot more interesting and fun if we were here." 

"OUT!" Lily yelled. They finally took her hint and left. As soon as they were gone, Lily bent over, laughing. 

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A/N: Didja like it? I did! Teeheehee. Ok, well if you did like it, leave a review for me and tell me! I like reviews. I live off them. They help me get the next parts up faster;) 


	3. Of Conflict and Company

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A/N: * Wipes away a tear * Oh gee, you all are so kind in your reviews! I love all of you! All the work I put into this is worth it to hear your lovely praise about my untalented self. Thank you all! Senna

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Disclaimer: I own Arianna Gratzki, Ashling McKinnon, Trewyn Li, Ebony Green, West, Evan, and Jackass. 

Chapter 3: Of Conflict and Company 

As Lily rode in a carriage pulled by no horses along with James, Sirius, and Remus (Peter was looking for his toad), she began to feel a knot of nerves forming in her stomach. More than anything, she wanted to be back at Salem in her hidden room, or flying around the grounds, or talking to Evan, or West, or anyone she knew. _I can't do this. It's too hard. I'll just tell Doubledoor or whatever his name was that I want to go home, and I'll be fine. West was wrong, I can't do this_! Of course, she didn't show her fear on her face. In fact, she must have looked positively bored because all three boys were speaking to her at once. _They seem nice. Maybe they'll be ok. They may be perverted, but they actually seem to want me to feel at home. Weird_. **_Still, be on your guard, Evans_**. _Gotcha_. When they arrived, a stern-looking woman with glasses was waiting at the door with the terrified first years. James, Sirius, and Remus saw her, and they broke into identical evil grins. 

"Howdy ma'am! How was your holiday?" asked James. 

"Potter, if you would be so kind to remember, you are to address me as Professor McGonagall, the year will be much more bearable for both of us. If you fail to do so, points will be taken away from Gryffindor," said the professor, sternly. Sirius and Remus snickered, and Lily smiled before she could stop herself. Professor McGonagall turned towards them and then back to James. 

"Really, must you corrupt every single girl you court? She hasn't even been in school and you are already bewitching her." Lily felt her face grow hot, and was about to retort when James broke in. 

"But I haven't even-um-courted her," said James. He looked at her and smiled deviously. "Though I'd sure like to." She stared at him icily. 

"In your dreams."

"I'll see you there." 

"He must be contagious," said Remus. "Poor Lily's been infected."

"Infected with an infatuation for James here," said Sirius. 

"I'll infatuate you with my fist if you don't shut up," she said menacingly. 

"Black! Lupin! That will do! All of you, leave now! I don't want you corrupting the new arrivals," exclaimed the professor. "Miss Evans, please stay here." 

"Don't worry," Sirius called out to the first years. "She doesn't bite. At least not too hard." He ran away before McGonagall could get him. Lily waited impatiently while McGonagall explained the Sorting ceremony. Finally, she and the first years were led into the Great Hall. She almost gasped when she stepped inside. There were rows upon rows of tables with lots of people sitting at them. A million candles suspended in the air lighted the room. The ceiling looked like the sky outdoors. It was if she had stepped back in time, when real castles surrounded the land. It made her shiver in excitement. 

Professor McGonagall called up the first years in alphabetical order to be Sorted. Lily watched them. Finally, when all of the first years had been Sorted, a very old, but energetic man with a long, gray beard and kind blue eyes took the stage. It was the man West had been praising, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, West's mentor, the man Lily had called Doubledoor. 

"I want to welcome everyone back to another year at Hogwarts! I know how eager you are to start learning, so I'll keep my announcements long. The Forbidden Forrest is forbidden, hence the name, and a certain foursome would do well to remember that," his eyes flickered ever so quickly in the direction of James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, who looked very puzzled about who Dumbledore was referring to, and looked curiously around the Great Hall. "Everyone should take care not to violate any of the rules of our caretaker, Argus Filch. Also, we have sent three of our students to different magical schools around the world, so they may spend a year of their magical training there. It's all very sad, and I understand your grief, but on a happier note, we have a foreign exchange student of our own for a year!" _Hoo boy_, she thought. _He makes it seem like it's the best thing in the world. Ooh! Yay! A transfer student! Big deal. _"Please welcome Miss Lily Evans from Salem Magical Institute in America!" The Great Hall broke into applause as she walked on stage and sat on the stool. She slipped the hat over her head, and practically jumped out of her skin when it began to talk to her. 

_No need to be frightened, dear. I've been waiting for you to arrive. You are late, you know that don't you? Headmaster West was planning on sending you last year even though fourth years are not allowed to participate. My goodness, I'm rambling. Back to business. Slytherin? Heavens no! You're not a monster! Hufflepuff? No. You're made of a stronger thread. Ravenclaw? You're very bright, you know, but you don't seem like the studious type. Alright then, you belong in_

"GRYFFINDOR!" Lily walked shakily to the Gryffindor table, where she sat down by James, Sirius, and Remus. _Oh God, that was SO not cool. That was scary and weird, and justNOT cool! God, a HAT just TALKED to me! Scotland is WEIRD_! Almost instantly, food appeared, and everyone dug in. She ate quietly, not really talking to anyone except James, Sirius, and Remus. Adjustment was hard for her. She had never been good at it. Neither had Petunia. _Come, Lil, give them a try. How bad could it be_? **_Don't forget to stay on your guard, Evans, you never know about people_**. _But I like them, and they seem to make an effort to talk to me_. **_Still, better safe than sorry_**. _But-oh fine. I guess you're right_. 

After the feast, James (who was a prefect for some odd reason), began to herd the first years up the stairs. Actually, another girl, who was a prefect too herded them while James followed. Apparently, he was making sure that no one got lost. If anyone stepped a toe out of line, he would sneak up on them and scare them half to death, and tell them that that or something very similar to that would happen to them if they wandered around the school. 

"Don't listen to that overgrown ape. He's wandered the school half his life, and the only thing it's done to him is make him and idiot. This way-James you're a prefect too, help!-up the stairs, we'll find you're Goober later, I promise-" 

"I don't see how an overgrown ape such as myself could help you, Aria!" called James. The girl had purplish-bluish eyes and wavy black hair. She glared at James. 

"You're impossible, I can't remember why I'm your friend-"

"Gee, I love you too." 

"UGH! Shut up James! Just-just don't talk, please!" Lily was watching this with amusement. 

"Hey, Scrubbing-Brush Head." 

"Yes, my dear Fireball?" James countered. 

"How the hell did you become a prefect?" she asked. 

"I charmed the pants off the teachers," said James, fingering his wand. He gave her a very flirtatious look, laughed, and left Lily standing in shock in a corridor, hoping very much that he didn't mean what she thought he meant. 

***

In the boy's dorm, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were unpacking. For them, this meant emptying their trunks onto the floor. Sirius looked around. 

"Home sweet home." 

"Yep." 

"I don't see how people can live with all of their belongings stuffed neatly into a wardrobe. Life is more exciting when you don't know if your socks match or who's underwear you're wearing, or if its been washed." 

"Amen." 

"So when are you going to ask Aria out, Sirius?" asked James, flopping onto his four-poster bed. 

"When you ask Lily out," replied Sirius. James rolled his eyes. 

"I don't even like her in that way!" 

"Riiight," Remus assured him. "We believe you. What about all that stuff you were saying about undressing her and courting her?"

"I was just fooling around! You know me, Remus that's my way of saying hello. Just like Sirius's way of greeting a girl is asking her if she wants to play Quidditch with his golden snitches. And what about you?" 

"Yeah, when are you going to ask Ash out?" Sirius asked. 

"Same time you and James ask Aria and Lily out," he answered. 

"That's never going to happen," said James, settling down on his bed. 

"Good," said Remus. 

"Hey, Jamsie," Sirius called from under his bed. "When you called Lily Fireball', which part of her were you referring to?" asked Sirius. "Upper or lower-upper body?" James stared at his friend for quite a while, reminding himself that Sirius was insane and that he had to be gentle and simple around him. 

"You figure it out, Sirius," 

***

Lily looked around the fifth year girls' dorm. It was a lot different from the one she had at Salem. This dorm was round, with five four-poster beds, which had scarlet comforters and gold pillows. There was a large window seat, and a large window. The bathroom was also scarlet and gold._ I guess its ok. I mean, it's nicer than the one at Salem, but its not home. At least, not yet. If it ever DOES become home, then I'll say its better than my room at Salem_. She was just wondering whom she shared her dorm with, and hoped that it wasn't with some girly-girl ditzes. Just then, the answers to her question arrived. Into the room walked the prefect named Aria and another girl. 

"Hi!" said the prefect. "I'm Arianna Gratzki, but you can call me Aria. You're Lily Evans, right?" Lily nodded. "This is Ashling McKinnon." The girl named Ashling shot a murderous look at her friend. "But don't call her that. Call her Ashley, or Ash." Ashley had large amber eyes and wavy brown hair. _They don't seem that bad_. **_You never can tell. Ditzes can come in disguise_**. _Good point_. **_Thank you_**. 

"Hey," she said stiffly. Ashley smiled and said hello. 

"Well, we'd better claim our beds before Trewyn and Ebony get here," said Aria, nervously looking at her watch. "They're snobs to us, but maybe they'll be civil to you, you never know with them. If we don't choose now, they'll take the best and we'll be left with crap." 

"You can choose first," said Ashley. Lily looked at the five beds. They all looked pretty much the same to her, so she wasn't quite sure about what Aria and Ashley were talking about. There was one next to the large bay window, and Lily decided she wanted that one because she loved to have the sun wake her up, warm her face with its long, gentle, colorful rays. 

"I'll take the one by the window," she muttered, and began to drag her trunk to the foot of the bed. Aria and Ashley rushed over to help. 

"Thanks," she said, a little surprised. The other girls shrugged. 

"I'll take the one by the door then," said Aria. 

"I'll take the center one," said Ashley. "Wonder where Their Majesties Trewyn and Ebony are?" 

"Probably making out in a bathroom somewhere," said Aria, disgustedly. "Most likely with either Sirius or James or Remus, or all three!" 

"Doesn't that bother you?" asked Ashley in a devious manner. 

"Why would it bother me?" Aria asked lightly. 

"Because you fancy Sirius!" exclaimed Ashley. Aria rolled her eyes and sighed. 

"I fancy Sirius just as much as I fancy Severus Snape," she snapped. 

"Ah, you never told me you fancy Severus as well as Sirius! My, my, Aria, you're playing and that isn't nice!" Ashley teased. Aria was about to say something when in walked two girls. Lily assumed that they were Trewyn and Ebony. One of them had long, shiny black hair and narrow blue eyes. The other had blonde hair and brown eyes. They walked as if they were queens, as if they ran the school. _Be open-minded, be open-minded, and don't judge them yet_... The black haired one made her way to Lily's bed and was about to sit down on it, but Lily sat down first. 

"Excuse me, but that's my bed. We already chose our beds and I picked that one." The girl looked at her as though Lily had just slapped her. 

"Aren't you the new girl?" she asked. She eyed Lily like someone who was looking at a new washing machine, sizing her up and checking out if she was good enough. 

"No, I'm Lily Evans. I have a name, just like everyone else," Lily answered coolly. 

"Trewyn Li. You don't have to be so rude, you know," said Trewyn. Lily just stared. 

"Since you are new to the school, I'd like to make an offer with you. I can help you out, if you'd like. It's hard to earn respect here. You either have connections in high places or you have to work for it, and trust me, you don't want to. I can help you take a flying leap from the ground to the highest rung on the ladder. You won't be able to do that with those two."

"They have names too. Their names are Aria and Ashley. I bet even she has a name too," said Lily angrily, waving her hand in the direction of Ebony. _Ok, open-mindedness just flew out the door. I think I know her well enough to know that she's a snob. Would it kill her to use people's names? She's probably known them for five years now! She should be on a first name basis_. She didn't like this girl at all. _She'd get along great with Jackass_. "And you know what? So does everyone else in the world! Isn't that amazing? Everyone in the world has a name that was given to them by their parents at birth, so you should use it!" 

"No shit, Sherlock," said Trewyn sarcastically. "Fine! Have it your way! Hang out with that crap! You're too homely to be popular, anyway." _Whoo. That hit hard. I'm crippled for life now_.

"Shut up, Trewyn," said Aria angrily. 

"It's ok, Aria, I could care less what she thinks, the little ditz," said Lily. She was determined not to tear the girl apart, limb from limb. Not on her first few hours at school. She had made a promise to West, and she would try as hard as she could, even if it killed her, not to pulverize the girl. 

"I'm a ditz?" said Trewyn softly. "Ooh, Lily, you hurt me! Boohoo! At least I'm not friends with a nerdy bookworm, and a goody two-shoes," said Trewyn, referring to Ashley and Aria, who were almost purple with anger. That did it for Lily. She leapt upon Trewyn, which shocked the poor girl. She had already pounded her by the time Aria, Ebony, and Ashley could pull her off. 

"You-you-you-" Trewyn gasped. 

"You are in so much trouble," said Ebony, smiling as she led Trewyn to the hospital wing. Everything was silent for a few moments after the two girls left, but then it was broken by Aria. 

"So you hate her too?" Lily stared at her for a moment, moaned, and then flopped face down onto her bed. 

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A/N: Well, it's shorter than the last part, but hey, what can you do. Leave a little review for me, won't you? It makes me ever so happy! :-D


	4. Of Fire And Ice And Everything Nice

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A/N: Personally, I'm disappointed with myself on this chapter, but I rushed and got it up for everyone who has reviewed the story so far because they were so kind. Thank you all once again! I love ya! Oh yea, and someone, (I can't remember who at the moment, sorry!) asked me if Lily was ever going to soften up. Well, she softens up considerably in this chapter, but don't worry, she's still tough. I hope. Oi. Love all of you-Senna

Chapter 4: Fire and Ice and Everything Nice

_Oh God. Oh dear God. Oh sweet Tigger, merciful great one, representing everything right in the world, what's WRONG with me? Jeez, I haven't even been at Hogwash or whatever this is for four hours and I've already gotten into a fight_! **_Smooth move, Evans, you sure know how to make a first impression, don't you_**? _Look, I REALLY don't need that right now. Man, West is gonna be so ashamed of me! He gave me his trust and I spat on it like how a cow spits or chewsor whatever cows do! God, I can't BELIEVE myself! I'm gonna be expelled and classes haven't even started yet_! On and on went Lily's thoughts. She was still in shock, a half-hour later. McGonagall had stormed up to the dormitory, angry as a bull with her nostrils flaring, ten minutes after Trewyn and Ebony had left. She had ordered Lily to wait in her office while she made sure that Trewyn was all right. She was clutching her stuffed Tigger, which had been a toy that had been donated to for a Christmas gift for any orphan. Lily had chosen it right away, before anyone else had a chance for it. Not that she had been greedy. Her father and mother had often referred to her as 'their little Tigger: bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, wouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.' They had meant that she was energetic, creative, and fun when they said that and that just like Tigger, there was no one like her. **_That's exactly right. No one else would get expelled after being at school for four hours_**! Lily was about to respond to that annoying little voice in her head when Professor McGonagall entered the room. She stared at her for quite a while, and Lily held her gaze. Finally, McGonagall spoke. 

"I am sure that you will be pleased to know that Miss Li is fine and does not have any broken bones-"

"I knew she wouldn't."

"-But she is still very shocked, as are all of us. Explain yourself, Miss Evans." Lily sighed. She didn't know what to say. If it had been West she was talking to, she wouldn't be at a loss for words. She would have told him exactly what had happened, and wouldn't have had to worry about saying something wrong. Now, she was sitting in front of a woman who looked as if her bun was so tight that it was giving her a hernia or something**. _For the love of God, Evans, don't screw up_**. _I'll just try to imagine what Tigger would say, and say that_. **_Ok, first of all, Tigger would never beat up a girl when he had been at school for only four hours, but of course, that's besides the point, isn't it_**? _Yea, it is_! 

"Um. Right. See, I got to the dorm, and then Aria and Ashley were there, and we picked which beds we wanted, and then Trewyn and Ebony showed up. Well, Trewyn waltzed, I-I mean walked, over to my bed and sat down on it, and I told her to get-I mean, I told her that I had already chosen it as my bed." She stopped and looked at her professor, who seemed very impatient, and probably wondering what the beds had to do with anything. **_Better get to the point, Evans_**. 

"So then she started giving me a lesson on how to be popular, and she said I never would be if I hung out with Aria and Ashley. Its not that I hang out with them, just if I did. And she called them 'those two', like they were a pair of animals or something like that! If she's been going to school with them for five years now, shouldn't she know their names?" She looked expectantly at McGonagall, who looked dazed and nodded. 

"And so I told her that they had names and she should use them, and that everyone in the world had names and that she should use them because that's what they were for. Then, she got all hoity-toity and offended and said I was too homely to be popular, and Aria told her to shut up. Then I called her a ditz, and then she said at least she didn't hang out with nerdy bookworms and goody two shoes, and, um, so I kind of, yea." Lily finished in a rush, looking down at her shoes. 

"I believe I have the just of it Miss Evans, Lord knows you did a fine job of confusing me throughout your story. I am assuming that you were angry that Miss Li insulted your friends?" asked McGonagall, massaging her temples. 

"They're, I mean, we're not really-"

"Very well, you were angry that Miss Li insulted your roommates?" asked McGonagall, not wanting Lily to go in depth about anything else. 

"Sure." 

"Though it was kind of you to defend your roommates, fighting is simply unacceptable at Hogwarts, and I will be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, and I am sure her will report this to Professor West. Thirty points will be taken from Gryffindor, and you will have a detention this week." Lily stared at her with her mouth hanging open. _Umwasn't this supposed to be the part where I get expelled? What just happened here_? "Do you have a problem with this, Miss Evans?" She shook her head. 

"I-I just thought-that-thought that you were going to expel me," she said, still shocked. The professor gave her a small smile. 

"Miss Evans, we don't expel people for fighting. Expulsion is for more serious matters, though I must warn you that if this happens again, expulsion may be your punishment. Is that understood?" She nodded. "Good. Now please go back to your dormitory." Lily practically skipped back to Gryffindor Tower. _Thank you God, thank you Tigger! I'm not expelled! West is gonna be happy about this_! **_He's not going to be happy that you beat her up_**. _But at least he doesn't have to be ashamed of me_! Lily breathed a sigh of relief as she left the office. She was given another chance. She wouldn't blow it this time. She would stop fighting. She would put effort into her classes. She would give James, Ashley, Sirius, Aria, Remus, and Peter a chance. She'd give Hogwarts a chance. _I'll make this work if it kills me. I'll try for West_. 

The next morning, Lily was awoken at the unreasonably early hour of seven o' clock. Someone or something was whacking her. She opened her eyes and stared blearily around the room. For a moment, she had no idea where she was and thought she had been kidnapped. Then, she realized that she was at Hogwarts, and that classes started today. Something whacked her again. She turned and saw Aria holding a pillow and smiling very cheerfully. 

"Get up Lily, it's seven o' clock! If you want a warm shower, you better get it now. Hurry up, it's almost time for breakfast! They always serve these excellent chocolate chip pancakes on the first day-oh gee, my mouth's watering already!" Lily stared at the girl as if she was insane, and Aria laughed. 

"What-why-" she groaned, and buried her face in her pillows. Suddenly, they were snatched from underneath her, along with her covers. She sat up, shivering in a sports bra and boxer-pants and saw Ashley dumping her covers and pillows in a pile on the floor. _Insane. These people are insane. God, who wakes up at seven in the morning? Oh well. They're insane in a good way. But still, why'd they have to steal my pillows_? She clutched her Tigger and looked bewildered around the room for an available bed. 

"You're not going back to bed," declared Ashley. "Up, up, up! Believe me, I wouldn't be up right now unless Miss Prissy Prefect here hadn't woken me up. She's not going to stop until you're out of bed, you know." Lily moaned. 

"Five more minutes?" she pleaded. 

"Nope!" said Aria, now preceding to open the huge window. "Get up now!" Lily stumbled into the bathroom, defeated. As she showered, she fell into her old habit of singing in the shower at the top of her lungs. She was good, but loud. Ashley had been looking for her lucky socks under her bed when she heard Lily. She lifted her head and promptly bumped it on the top of the bed. 

"Ow-Aria is that a moose?" 

"That's Lily, you plonker," Aria replied. _A moose? Wow, that's a new one. I was kind of going for Aerosmith, but I'll take a moose_. _Why don't you beat HER up_? _That's getting really old for one, and two, I kind of like being a moose. Not as good as being a Tigger, but mooses-or meeces-oh whatever, moose plural are pretty cool too_. 

The first class of the day was Potions, taught by Professor Algerus Glenn. Aria and Ashley had filled Lily in about how he was head of Slytherin House, and favored the Slytherins. He also, apparently hated the Gryffindors and took points from them whenever he found a chance to. 

Professor Glenn started out class by taking roll call. He saved Lily for last. 

"Miss Evans? My, I am astonished that you are still present at Hogwarts after your little conflict with Miss Li last night." _Well good morning to you too, Mr. Announce-Other-People's-Business-To-The-Entire-Class! Ever heard of privacy_? "Let's see how far behind you are. Tell me how many lacewings are added to a Dizzying Drought, and if they are added before the potion effervesces or after the hue changes? Effervesces means foams, by the way. " He smiled smugly, apparently sure he had fooled her. _Ok, screw being open minded I HATE him! He's trying to make me look stupid in front of the whole class! 'Effervesces means foams by the way'. I'll effervesce HIM. God, I can't believe it! I bet none of them know about Dizzying Droughts_! She was right. The class was glaring at Glenn because Dizzying Droughts weren't taught until seventh year. She tried to calm the rage bubbling up inside of her. Suddenly, she surprised everyone by smiling sweetly. 

"Lacewings are used to enhance people, so they would not be found in a Dizzying Drought, which is used to make people soporific. That means sleepy, by the way, in case you didn't know." The class howled with laughter. Lily was still smiling, and Glenn was purple with rage. 

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Evans, and be extremely thankful I did not take more. Never question my intellect again, is that understood?" 

"Sure." _That's as long as you don't try to make a fool of me again. Actually, you know what Mr. Rod Upmyass? Go ahead. Try to make me look stupid again. I'll show you. They taught me a thing or two at Salem, you know_. Glenn was in a less than jolly mood for the rest of the class, and made sure that by the end, everyone else was too. 

The day dragged on. Lily flopped onto her bed in the dormitory after dinner. She was still seething over the fact that Professor Glenn had tried to embarrass her in front of her class. She didn't mind Professor Binns because he didn't pay attention to anything but his lecture, so she was free to do what she wanted in his class. In today's class, she, James, Sirius, and Aria had played Exploding Snap while Remus and Ashley drew. They were both exceptionally gifted artists, as she soon found out. All of their work was so detailed and intricate that it took her breath away. She had liked professor Flitwik right away because he was the Charms teacher, but she didn't know what to make of Professor McGonagall. She actually made Lily work in her class. She seemed to think she was more capable than she thought she was, even though she was hopeless at Transfiguration. 

"First day is always horrible," said Ashley as she and Aria entered the room. Lily immediately sat up. She almost smiled, happy that Aria and Ashley has come to talk to her, but she caught herself in time. 

"Yea," said Lily, not sure of what to say. There was an awkward silence. 

"Which elective classes will you be taking?" asked Aria, offering her a chocolate frog as she ate one. 

"Umelective?" asked Lily, confused. 

"An elective class is like Divination, Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy," explained Ashley. 

"Oh," said Lily. She looked at her schedule. "Apparently I'm taking Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy. Won't that be fun. At least Study of Ancient Runes isn't required here. It was at Salem." 

"Do you know anyone in any of those classes?" asked Ashley. 

"Nope," replied Lily. 

"James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter are in Divination," started Aria. "They're in Care of Magical Creatures, and so are Ash and I. We're also in Arithmancy, though the guys aren't."

"Are you going to try out for a Quidditch position?" asked Ashley. 

"I don't know. Never thought about it," said Lily. She almost considered trying out for Quidditch, but she decided that would have no point because she probably wouldn't be good at it. Just like Petunia had said, she wasn't worth anything. "Why?" 

"We need a Beater," explained Ashley. "Our last one graduated."

"You play Quidditch?" asked Lily, surprised. She hadn't pictured her as the Quidditch playing type. 

"Yup!" replied Ashley. "I'm Seeker, Aria is Keeper, Sirius is Beater, James is Chaser, Trewyn is Chaser, and Ebony is Chaser." At this, Lily burst out laughing. 

"Trewyn and Ebony play QUIDDITCH?" she gasped. "Oh, I've gotta see that." 

"That's what I said when I saw the list," said Aria. "The funniest thing is that they're actually good." Lily stopped laughing, and looked so comically surprised that the other two girls burst out laughing. 

Lily lay tossing and turning in bed that night. She had never been so confused in her life. The people at Hogwarts actually liked her. They seemed to care about her**._ Don't let them in Evans. They might be trying to trick you. They might leave you as soon as you let them in. Better safe than sorry_**. The voice in her head kept telling her these things. Lily didn't know what to think. She had taught herself what the Voice was telling her. It had kept her alive for four years. But now, things were different. She didn't have to scrape for food, she didn't have to defend her right to a doorstep to sleep on, and she didn't have to fight to get the last of the warm water in the shower. She didn't need to be as careful as before. _Maybe_, she thought. _Just maybe these people are ok and I can stop keeping them out. Melt away the ice around me and let them in. I'll try. Whoo this is gonna be tough. But if Tigger could do it, I can, right_?Lily sighed, and turned over. Sleepily, she told herself to shut up and go to sleep, and she promptly obeyed herself. 

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Are you disgusted with me, or enthralled by the next chapter in this saga? Tell me what you think by writing me a review! :D 


	5. Aria's Love Song

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A/N: HeeheeI keep getting distracted by the henna on my hands. Anywhohere's my chapter 5. You all are such great reviewers! Oh, and by the way, someone thought I misspelled my title. Nope, its supposed to be bound and not bond. And the romance is gonna come slowly on this fic, it can't come up all of a sudden. I'm sorry, but that's the way the fic has to be. K, toodles! Senna

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Disclaimer: I own Aria and Ashley right now. Oh, and all the italics in this part are Sirius's thoughts, none of them are Lily's. 

Chapter 5: Aria's Love Song

Day by day, Lily began to loosen up and let people in. She was still on her guard, but she began to become friends with the Marauders, Aria, and Ashley. Lily even began to help pull pranks on Snape and his friends. So far, she had thrown a vanishing potion on him, turned his oily hair a shocking pink color, and stolen all of his clothes, all in her first two weeks. At first it had felt weird for her, talking and laughing. She hadn't been able to do that in years. She was beginning to like it. She liked having girls to talk about girly stuff. She could never have discussed periods or shaving with Evan, and she loved having the guys as friends as well, even though it had some disadvantages, such as the female population of Hogwarts becoming insanely jealous of her closeness with them. Still, they were hilarious, and could even be sweet at times. Rare times, true, but still, they had their moments. 

One night, not long after the friends had stolen Snape's clothes, the Marauders, Lily, and Ashley were sitting in the common room drinking butterbeer. They were not at all cheering the victory of the stolen clothes prank, since it had been more disgusting than funny. 

"That was a REALLY bright idea, Moony, to steal ALL of his clothes. Jesus, that was the smallest, most wrong thing I have ever seen in my life!" said James, disgusted. 

"How was I supposed to know that he would come into the Great Hall wearing a pink robe that was WAY too short and fluffy bunny slippers? I'm not psychic you know!" said Remus, indignantly. 

"It would have been funny if no one had turned the fan on," said Ashley. "That was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. I think I've been scarred for life! I tried to wash my eyes afterwards, you know." Lily laughed at the memory. Ashley had run into the girls' bathroom yelling in agony my eyes, my eyes!' and ran out a minute later screaming the same thing, wiping soap off of her face. 

"Did it work?" asked Sirius innocently. Ashley glared at him. 

"I didn't think the soap would get in my eyes if I was careful!" she exclaimed. 

"Where's Aria?" Lily asked suddenly. She hadn't seen her all day long, not since she, Ashley, and Aria had thrown spitballs at Trewyn and her entourage. 

"I thought she was in the library," said James. 

"Why would she be there?" asked Sirius, absolutely shocked at the very idea of anyone spending time in what he called 'the good ol' hellhole'. The portrait hole swung open and Aria stepped inside the common room, wearing an enormous grin on her face, and giggling softly every few seconds. She walked past her friends and reached the stairs when Remus called out to her. 

"Hello? Aria? We're here, not up there."

"Yea, I know," she said, obviously having no idea about what Remus had said. 

"Come on Aria, you're breaking the prefect's code of honor. A prefect is not supposed to ignore any student," said Sirius. 

"Ok." 

"Andyou know this how?" asked James. "I didn't even know that, and I'm a prefect!" 

"Sirius is reciting rules," said Remus, shaking his head. "Next thing you know, Snape is going to wash his hair." Sirius looked at Aria, who was now proceeding to climb the stairs, swaying as she walked. 

"There's only one way to prove is she's faking or if this is real," he said. "Aria, darling, want to come to my room after dinner and play a little game of Quidditch? You know I'm good at it." If Aria had been normal, she would have slapped Sirius as hard as she could the second he had said that. This girl, however, giggled and replied

"All right." Sirius looked seriously (A/N: lol, couldn't resist) at the rest. "That settles it. Aria has been abducted by those little, green, fairies muggles call aliens, and they sent that girl back down to earth to pose as her. She should have slapped me by now!" He thought this over for a second. "Maybe I should take her word for it. I mean, she did agree to play Quidditch, and-"

"Sirius, can you stop being horny for just one second?" Lily snapped. 

"Come on Lily," said Ashley. "Let's go see what has happened to our dear Aria." The two girls went up the stairs to their dormitory, and found Aria listening to music on her magical CD player, and dancing with her eyes closed with an invisible person. Lily and Ashley exchanged looks, and began to slowly back out of the room. Aria opened her eyes and found her friends looking warily at her. She grinned and laughed. 

"Ash," said Lily. "I think she's finally cracked." 

"It was bound to happen," said Ashley solemnly. "It's a shame though, that it happened now. She's so young still. What a pity." Aria laughed again, and quickly stopped when she saw the look on her friend's faces. 

"Oh stop worrying you guys! I'm fine!" she said. Then she looked thoughtful. "Actually, I'm better than fine! I'm perfectly happy! I'm giddy! I'm delighted! I'm exhilarated! I'm-"

"Going to drive Ashley and Lily as insane as you are if you don't stop!" said Lily. "Sit Aria-good girl-now breathe. All right, now tell us why you're so happy." 

"Ok. You guys know how I've had the biggest crush on Amos Diggory?" said Aria. Did they ever know. Aria had been in love with him ever since her first year. She was at a loss for words whenever she passed him in the hallway, and almost fainted when he had once asked her how her class had been. She had sworn that she would marry him, and already had the ceremony planned out. Of course, nearly every other girl at Hogwarts did the same. Amos Diggory was the cause of practically every girl's heartache, along with James, Sirius, and Remus. Most any girl would have done anything to be his girlfriend. 

"Well, I was coming back from the Owlery when I bumped into him! He was really sweet and helped me up and helped me gather up my books and stuff. I was just going to leave when he offered to walk me back. So we were walking and talking about Quidditch, and we got to the Fat Lady, and-oh god, you'll never guess! He asked me if I wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him sometime!" The other two girls almost fell off the bed. Then they began to scream happily. 

"Oh my God Aria! You've got a date with a seventh year!" screamed Lily as she hugged her friend. 

"Not just a seventh year, but the hottest seventh year in the whole year!" yelled Ashley as she too hugged Aria, who was gasping for breath beneath the weight of her friends. 

"Oof! I know! It's so amazing! But you'll never guess what happened next. I said the password and I said good night, and he said good night, and thenHE KISSED ME!" Aria exclaimed. The other two girls erupted in screams again. 

"Amos Diggory kissed you!" squealed Ashley. 

"The hottest seventh year in the entire school kissed you!" screamed Lily. "Wait until Trewyn finds out! Oh, she's going to die when she hears it!" 

"You lucky, lucky, thing! Every girl in school is going to hate you forever! Oh my God, he kissed you!" Ashley screamed. 

"I have to find an outfit to wear for the next Hogsmeade visit. Its on Saturday!" said Aria, completely content. 

"I'm going to go tell the guys," said Lily. 

"Oh but Lils, I need your help!" she whined. Lily looked at her as if she were out of her mind. She didn't know the first thing when it came to clothes. She had never been into that kind of girly stuff. Petunia had been more in to it. Lily chose her clothes by deciding if they were clean or not. Hadn't Aria noticed that by now? 

"Do you want to look like a colorblind monkey on Saturday?" she asked. 

"Of course not!" exclaimed Aria. 

"Then let Ash pick out your outfit," said Lily, and she ran out of the common room. 

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were talking in low voices in a secluded corner of the common room. In just a few days, the full moon would emerge. They didn't have much time left. With just a few more practices, it would be done. 

"Look, we still need to make the potion, and somehow we need to get those ingredients. And we have to get Aria and Ashley to help with the ceremony, if we need them to do it. That's our last resort. If we have to do the ceremony, only two of us can do it. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get the ingredients?" asked James in a low whisper. 

"Raid Glenn's private stores," said Sirius. 

"Does anyone have any ideas that doesn't involve suicide?" asked James. When no one offered any suggestions, he sighed. "Ok. We'll do it tonight then. The thing is, the cloak will only hold two people along with all of those ingredients." 

"I'll do it," said Remus. James looked like he was about to say something, so Remus added hastily "You need the ingredients because of me, so I might as well get them for you guys." 

"Look Remus, how many times do we have to tell you that you don't owe us anything? We're best friends. We're more than that, actually, we're like brothers. I know that if it were me or James or Peter, you'd do the same for us, right?" asked Sirius angrily. He knew that Remus had always been self-conscious about being a werewolf, and was thankful every day for the friends he had. The problem was, he didn't understand that he wasn't a burden to them. That they would stick by him through anything. He had been shunned away too many times to hope to believe that. Remus nodded. "Good. I'll go with you then." 

"Go where?" asked Lily. The four boys snapped their heads up to look at her. She jumped backwards a little, startled. 

"Lily," said James, trying very hard not to sound as nervous as he was. "How much did you hear?" Lily was about to say that she had heard nothing, but she looked at the pleading expressions in each boy's eyes. She couldn't lie to her friends. 

"I- I- just heard the last thing Sirius said," she said, scared. Would they be angry? Would they think she had been spying on them not want to be friends? She bit her lip, and looked pleadingly at them to believe her. Fortunately, their faces relaxed. 

"You've got to promise that you won't tell anyone we're sneaking out," said James in an urgent voice. Lily nodded. "Actually, will you help us?" The other three looked quickly at him out of the corners of their eyes, each wondering what he was thinking. 

"Sure," she said. "I'll help if I can."

"Ok. We need to create a diversion so that Remus and Sirius won't have any trouble. Now, since they have the cloak, we will probably get caught, which is what we want," explained James. 

"We do?" asked Lily under her breath. 

"We'll go down to the kitchens and steal some food, and someone is bound to find us before or after we get there," said James, not having heard Lily. "Do you want to help?" Lily nodded eagerly. It was better than sitting around in the common room doing the Defense Against the Dark Arts essay that was due tomorrow. 

"When do we do this?" asked Lily. 

"Meet Peter and I down here at one," said James. 

"Ok," said Lily. 

"Did you ever find out what was up with Aria?" asked Sirius casually. He hoped to god that no one would think that he was asking because he liked her _(which I don't. I'm just wondering because she's my friend)_. An enormous, dopey, grin suddenly spread across Lily's face, one that looked identical to Aria's. 

"Yup!" exclaimed Lily. "She was really, REALLY happy because Amos Diggory is asked her out!" 

"He did what?" asked Sirius, shocked. "But she-you know-she didn't say yes, right?" Lily looked at him as if he were an idiot. 

"Earth to Sirius? He's Amos Diggory! The guy she's had a crush on since first year! Of course she said yes!" Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

"And he said yes too?" Lily rolled her eyes. 

"He's the one who asked her out, but obviously, to you, that doesn't count as a yes. And that's not even the best part! He kissed her too!" said Lily, dreamily. "Good night. See you at midnight!" Sirius watched as she bounded up the stairs. He felt like someone had just slapped him with a really, icy, cold hand. Kind of the way it felt to be slapped by Narcissa Adams. Except this was ten times worse. James, Remus, and Peter looked carefully over to Sirius, to see how he was reacting to the news. His expression was unreadable, face blank. 

"Sirius? How-what-?" asked Remus, struggling with what to say, which was unusual because he was the one who was good with words. Sirius just stared ahead. He didn't know what to think. He was angry. _No, not angry, worried. Yea_. But why? Aria wasn't his girlfriend. She was Aria for crying out loud! The same girl who had slapped him the first they had met because he had asked her if she wanted to play Quidditch with his golden snitches. The same girl that he had played millions of pranks on and/or with. Why was he so upset? He should be happy for her. He was happy for her, and tried to convince himself this. _Yea. If being happy is the same feeling as being thrown off of a cliff and struck by lightening_. This was stupid. She was his friend, and he had known that she was in love with Diggory. He shouldn't be so worked up about it. 

"So what ingredients are we going to steal?" he asked, looking for the list, which was in James's pocket. 

"Sirius, don't change the subject," said Remus angrily. 

"I didn't. You just said Sirius? What-how-?' That's not a subject, or even a question. Really Remus, you're supposed to be the one who's grammatically correct. Are you feeling all right?" asked Sirius as he grinned cheekily. Anyone who didn't know him would have thought that he was back to normal. Unfortunately for him, James, Remus, and Peter knew him far too well to be fooled by that. 

"Are you?" asked James pointedly, even though he knew he wasn't. 

"Course I do. Never better. Now which ingredients do we need to steal?" asked Sirius. Of course, his friends new that he was lying, but they also knew that it wouldn't get them anywhere if they kept bugging him. James sighed, took out a crumpled roll of parchment from his pocket and started reading the ingredients aloud.

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A/N: Okey dokey, now click on that little button that says review and review!!! J 


	6. Of Whispers and Wanderings

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A/N: well its kinda dark in this chapter, and whoo mama did I let it rip with the swearing. Teehee, I'm sorry, it may not be a whole lot for you, but I feel very daring at the moment ;). ANYhoozies, if you see italics with stars around them, its James's thoughts, and I think you know Lily's by now. 

Disclaimer: I own Aria, Ashley, Glenn, and West. 

Chapter 6: Of Whispers and Wanderings

Lily lay awake in her bed. For the millionth time, she looked at her watch. It read 12:45 P.M. She sighed and rolled over. She was restless and wanted one o' clock to hurry itself up so she'd be able to go down to the common room and meet James. And Peter. Not so much Peter as James. She didn't know why, but she felt uneasy around Peter, and so did Aria and Ashley. His eyes were gray-blue, the color of a frozen ocean on a winter morning, that seemed to stare straight through you. As if he knew what you were thinking. He always seemed nervous and moaned incessantly about every little unfairness in his life. There was just something about him that she didn't like. Of course, none of the girls ever said any of this to James, Sirius, or Remus, who were fiercely protective of Peter. Lily couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why though. If a little rat faced by hung around her every day without invitation, she would have taught him a lesson. She looked at her watch again. 12:48 P.M. Twelve minutes until she was supposed to meet him. **_You mean them_**. _Well, duh, of course I mean them. What else would I mean_? She turned her thoughts to the upcoming Quidditch match: Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. It would be a very interesting match, what with Aria and Amos playing against each other. Aria was a keeper, and Amos was a Chaser. _I hope she doesn't cut him slack just because he's her boyfriend_. She shook her head. No, Aria wouldn't do that. She wouldn't go easy against her own mother in a Quidditch match, let alone her own boyfriend. A more girly girl than she would have, but not her. Aria didn't let anyone off easy in Quidditch. _Wow, Aria's mother playing Quidditchthat's something I have got to see_. Ashley, who was the Seeker, told her that Remus did the commentary, and that he was the most biased commentator Hogwarts had ever seen. Sometimes students went to the games just to hear him slander the other team. She felt a bit sorry for the Hufflepuffs, because Sirius was sure to whip bludger after bludger at them. And of course, James was a Chaser along with Trewyn and Ebony. She had been told that he was a very talented Chaser, one of the best. Lily especially wanted to see what the Walking, Talking, Scrubbing-Brush, as she called him, could do. His hair actually looked nice in scrubbing-brush style. So soft and tousled. And his chocolate brown eyes reminded her of a puppy. Basically, he reminded her of an overgrown puppy. _A very adorable pu**-Evans! Are you losing it? This is James Potter we're talking about. What's wrong with you**_? Lily sat up very suddenly in bed. Where had all of that come from? _It's official Lils. This Scottish air has affected your brain_. Once again, she looked at her watch. 12:59 P.M. Lily jumped out of bed and raced down to the common room, careful not to wake up any of the girls.

It was 12:45 A.M, and the Marauders were gathered in the common room, except for Peter, who had complained of a headache and was on his way to the hospital wing. James handed Remus the cloak and the list of ingredients. He and Sirius were leaving before James and Lily so they would have time to get to the Potions Storeroom. After they left, James sat down to wait for her. He tried to run over the plan in his head, but his thoughts kept drifting over to her. She was different from any other girl he had ever dated. She was smart and never talked about makeup or her clothes. In fact, it seemed as if she chose what to wear by determining if it had been washed or not. She was fun to be around, and seemed to not mind getting in trouble, or getting dirty. She was always the first one to volunteer to handle a new animal in Care of Magical Creatures. James figured she either felt extreme pity for Professor Kettleburn, or she was insane. Yes, that was it. She was insane. Anyone who laughed like they had had the time of their lives riding a hippogriff and then being thrown off into a mud puddle had to be. She was very pretty as well, with her silky, wavy red hair and her astonishing eyes. Her eyes were amazing. They were like pools of liquid emerald, and they shimmered and sparkled with their own light-*_JAMES! Get a grip! This is Lily we're talking about! Your friend! Besides, you've got a girlfriend, Trewyn, remember? And you don't need to be reminded on what Lucan would do to her, do you? I didn't think so. Now stop that_. * James shuddered. Lucanunfortunately his father. James knew he was a Death Eater, and a ruthless one at that. He cared nothing for anyone but himself. Not for mother's screaming and pleading for their children to be spared, not for fathers crying as they helplessly watched their family's die, not for a child crying for their parents after he had slaughtered them. He had seen him kill without mercy many a time, even as a childbut he turned his thoughts away from his father to Lily, who had just rushed into the common room. She was wearing a fluffy yellow robe with slippers that had a tiger's head on the front. _What's its name again_? James wondered. Oh yea, it was Tigger, a muggle fairy tale character. Her hair was in a ponytail. 

"Hi," said Lily smiling. "Where's Peter?" 

"He wasn't feeling well, so he went down to the hospital wing. I hope he gets caught," said James. Lily raised an eyebrow at him, and he hastily replied, "I mean I hope he gets caught so Remus and Sirius have time and all." 

"Ah," said Lily. "Well, let's go get our detentions then," she said, grinning broadly. 

"May I escort you to our untimely demise, Miss Fireball?" asked James, offering her an arm. 

"Certainly, Mr. Scrubbing-Brush," answered Lily, laughing. 

They went through the portrait hole and headed towards the kitchens. James showed her secret rooms and passages along the ways that were only known to the Marauders, Aria, and Ashley. They had been stuffed with beanbag chairs and posters, all brought by themselves. There was even a balcony in one, and one with walls of unbreakable glass. She couldn't wait to find out if they were invisible. Finally, they reached a big portrait of a silver fruit bowl with fruits in it. James tickled the pear, which chortled for a while, and then transformed into a handle. He pulled it open, and they stepped inside. 

There were house elves wearing tea-towel togas everywhere, running to and fro, stirring cauldrons that were three times as large as they were, and adding logs to the ever-burning fires. The walls were bright white, and it made Lily feel as if she was in a laboratory. Before them were the four majestic House tables and the Head table, directly underneath the ones in the Great Hall. She figured that the meals were charmed up from those tables to the real ones. The aroma of breakfast filled the air, and she realized delightedly that there would be chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and sausage for breakfast that day. She tore her eyes away from the busy scene and looked at James. 

"This is so cool!" she whispered excitedly. "I never thought the kitchens would be like this." 

"There's still the best part left," said James, his eyes dancing, smiling at the look of shock on her face. The house elves now noticed their visitors, and ran up to greet them. 

"Hello Mr. Potter sir, hello miss, welcome welcome-"

"Please sit down-"

"Noddy, get Mr. Potter sir and miss a footstool-" and on and on. James and Lily were sitting comfortably on a big, squashy sofa when the house elves came back with a tray of food. There were muffins, hot chocolate, several kinds of cake, cupcakes by the dozen, pastries, cookies, and to Lily's delight, chocolate éclairs. 

"Damn!" said Lily, amazed, shocking one a few of the house elves who thought she was angry with them, but then realized she was happy when they saw her face. "Is-is this for us?"

"Yes miss, its all for you and Mr. Potter sir! Would you like more?" asked the elf called Noddy. Lily was hyperventilating at the sight of the food, oblivious to everything around her, so James answered for her. 

"No, this is more than enough, thank you Noddy. We can't stay though, I'm afraid we must be going. It's getting late." James stuffed as much as he could carry into his pockets, and Lily did the same. They thanked the elves and hurried out of the kitchen. 

"Oh my God! Oh. My. God. We HAVE to do that again!" exclaimed Lily as she munched on a éclair. 

"We will. We usually go to the kitchens every week to keep from starving. Its better than care packages." James assured her. "Now all we need is to get caught." The two walked to the west wing of the castle, which was Mrs. Norris's favorite hunting ground for mice, and they found her quickly. For the first time in his life, James was glad to see her. A few seconds later, Filch and Professor Glenn arrived. He became livid with anger when he saw them. 

"Being out of bed in the middle of the night is bad enough, but stealing food from the kitchens? That is a week of detention each and twenty points from Gryffindor!" roared Filch. Glenn had kept his eyes on Lily while Filch ranted, and finally spoke. 

"I see that the rumors are true then," he hissed softly. "Our young foreign exchange student really is no good at all. Now wonder they got away with all of these delectables, she's a professional. Tell me, how old were you when you stole your first loaf of bread?" Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't hear anything anymore, because her blood was pounding with anger. She couldn't even see straight. The only sense that was still active was her sense of feeling, and she was feeling angry. More than that. Rage like she had never known was boiling up inside of her, like a volcano about to erupt. She wanted to kill Glenn. 

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" screamed Lily, and rushed toward Glenn, only to be held back by James, who was furious, even though he wasn't sure what Glenn was talking about. *_What the hell is he smoking? How DARE he accuse her of stealing! She wouldn't even have known about the kitchens if it weren't for me! He should be yelling at me_! *. "LET GO OF ME JAMES! LET ME GO!" Glenn stood where he was and smirked. 

"Another twenty points from Gryffindor. Dear me, Dumbledore won't be happy when he hears what you said, and how you almost attacked me. I should think he will notify Headmaster West as well," said the professor. When he had said headmaster West' he had said it dripping with sarcasm. That was more than she could handle. He could slander her all he wanted, but if he ever said anything about WestLily made another attempt to get to him, furious that he dared to mock West, but James just barely held on, surprised at her strength. It was taking all of his to hold her back. For a moment he considered letting her go, to see what she would do to Glenn if he did, but hastily decided against it, deciding that the outcome would not be pleasant to look at, or for her. Glenn smirked once more and walked away with Filch behind him, grinning with insanity.

"Lemme go James! I'll kill him! Lemme at him! I'll send him back to the hole he crawled out of! Lemme go!" screamed Lily, trying to free herself of his grasp, snarling viciously. When James was certain that Glenn was gone, he let her go. Instead of running after the professor as he had suspected she would do, Lily stood quietly, shaking in fury. **_How DARE he? How DARE he even THINK of bringing that up? What the hell did I ever do to him? Goddamn him! And he didn't even stop with me, he had to go on to West too! I'll KILL him_**!Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm herself. She knew she had to, for her own sake, if she wanted to stay at Hogwarts and not end up in Azkaban, but she couldn't stop the rage. It kept bubbling up and up, and refused to go down. She shut her eyes tight and tried to clear her head. James stood watching her, expecting her to cry, but she didn't. She looked him squarely in the eye. 

"That bastard is gonna pay." James didn't know what to say, or do. She spoke with such assurance and such anger that he didn't know what to think. Luckily, he didn't have to think anything because Lily turned around and walked back to the Gryffindor common room. James followed her. When they stepped inside the common room, she turned to him, eyes glued to her slippers. She couldn't make herself face him. Rather, she didn't trust herself to look into his eyes and not cry. Some of her anger was gone, but there was still enough left. She didn't know what he would think of her now, now that he knew what she had been, and was in absolutely no state to handle any more hurt. 

"James?" she half-whispered. "Can you do something for me?" he nodded. "Please don't tell anyone? I-I promise I'll tell them soon, j-just not yet. Just please, please don't say anything." 

"You don't have to tell them if you don't want to Lils," said James. He couldn't stand to see her like this. The Lily he knew was a girl who didn't take any crap from anyone, and was always happy. This girl was someone who was lost, scared, and hurt. She shook her head. 

"I do," said Lily. James nodded. "I promise I won't tell until you're ready to." 

"Thank you," she whispered, and hugged him. James was taken by surprise at first, but he hugged her back. Lily didn't know what possessed her to hug him, but she was in no state to ponder upon it anyway. "Good night." 

"Good night Lils," said James. 

Lily crawled into her bed. As soon as she was sure that everyone else was very much asleep, she sobbed her tears of shame, careful not to let anyone hear.

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A/N: Man her life sux, glad its not mine. Okey dokey, you know the drill, leave me a review and I'll put up the next chapter quicker. J 


	7. Of Apologies and Persuasions

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A/N: Man, I'm sick today and it sucks, I've been walking around with tissues hanging out of my nose cuz the darn thing won't stop dripping! Also, has anyone ever pictured Remus as Brad Pitt from Meet Joe Black except instead of blonde hair he'd have brown hair with silver highlights? Yea, these fantasies come when you have a cold. 

Disclaimer: I own Aria, Ashley, Glenn, and West. Four whole characters! Whoo! 

Chapter 7: Of Apologies and Persuasions

James didn't know what to think when he saw Lily at breakfast the next day. She seemed completely normal, like nothing had ever happened. Her eyes were red, which she said was because she was tired, but he had a strong feeling she had been crying, even though he couldn't picture her crying. He was still angry and confused about why Glenn had called her a thief, but decided not to press the matter further until she was ready. When asked about how the mission had gone, they had said nothing of their meeting with the professor, only that it had gone well and that their food stock had been replenished. Remus and Sirius thanked her again and again. Sirius even offered her the reward of dating him, which he promptly received a slap for. 

During Divination that day, Dumbledore sent for Lily, and she was happy to leave the hot, stuffy classroom. She was almost thankful, for one more minute of Trelawny moaning about the end of the world and she was sure she would have gone insane. Everyone except for James shot her questioning looks, which she ignored. Aria, Ashley, Remus, and Sirius were especially curious about why she was being called to the Headmaster. They didn't think that a little midnight escapade would get her into so much trouble. They had done it millions of times, and the Headmaster had never done anything about it. And if being caught out of bed was why she was summoned, why hadn't Dumbledore called for James too? When they shot her curious stares, she shook her head and mouthed 'later'. 

Lily followed McGonagall to Dumbledore's office, where, after saying the password, she left her. _Great_, she thought. _I'm going to get a talk on respect_. _That son of a bitch should be fired and given a talk on respect. Ooh, I'll teach HIM a lesson on respect if I ever get the chance. I'll KILL him. _She was shocked for a moment. This was getting out of hand. She had never been this angry before, and it was taking over her. She didn't want to kill anyone. Lily took a few deep breaths to calm her self and waited a few minutes before stepping off the golden escalator, and into Dumbledore's office. He was sitting at his desk, talking to the fireplace. As she stepped further into the office, she gasped when she saw that Dumbledore was talking to West, whose head was sitting in the fireplace, and not the fire. _CRAP! West knows! Now he's gonna be all upset. God, he'll hate me_!Dumbledore smiled warmly at her when he saw her, which surprised Lily. She had expected him to give her a stern look and yell. West gave her the stern look she had been expecting, looking furious while he did it. 

"Hello Miss Evans," said Dumbledore. "I thought that Professor West would like to take a part in our conversation, so I took the liberty of inviting him here. Is that all right with you? Oh, and would you like a lemon drop? I'm sure you know of them." Lily was temporarily stunned. _He's supposed to be yelling his head off, and he's asking me if I mind that he invited someone here. And he's asking me if I want a lemon drop? No offense West, but the dude is completely insane_. 

"No-no I don't mind," she said. "A-and no thanks, I don't want a lemon drop." Dumbledore smiled. 

"Good. Now, the reason I called you to our office today was to-"

"Yea, yea, I know. You're going to lecture me about how the professor is always right, even when they're slandering you about things in your past that you can't help now. Or when they're slandering you're Headmaster, they're still right. And the student should never, ever call the professor less than lovely terms, no, they should just sit there and take the crap that the professor is giving them like an idiot," said Lily angrily before she could stop herself. West looked scandalized. 

"LILIAN GRACE EVANS! Have I taught you nothing? Where are your manners! You don't talk to your professors like that and you don't interrupt people! Not unless they're me!" _Yea, yea, whatever. _Lily sighed.

"I'm sorry Professor West, I'm sorry Professor Dumbledore. I am both ashamed and admonished for my lack of respect towards both you and Professor Glenn, and I can assure you that it will not happen again." She curtsied and smiled sweetly. 

"Quit the act, its not amusing at all," West snapped. "Professor Dumbledore, I'm really sorry about this."

"Quite all right," said Dumbledore, amused. "No need to be sorry, Miss Evans. Its never fun to be lectured, though I was not planning to yell at or lecture you." Lily first looked surprised, and then turned a deep hue of scarlet. **_Smooth move Evans you did it again_**. 

"See what happens when you act before you think?" said West. She made a face at him, and then turned back to Dumbledore. 

"Um, you weren't?"

"No, of course not," he said. "I called you to my office because I wanted to apologize for Professor Glenn's behavior. What he said was disrespectful and uncalled for. I am ashamed that a Hogwarts professor has behaved in this way. I will speak with him soon about his behavior." Lily didn't know what to think. Not many people had ever apologized to her. This was the first time in a long time that anyone (besides West and Evan and the professors) had bothered to trouble himself or herself with doing that. 

"Whoa," whispered Lily, still surprised. She was beginning to like the old man, even though he was a little weird. "I-I-I mean, th-thank you professor." Dumbledore smiled warmly. 

"I should be thanking you, for still staying here." West smiled happily. Lily was learning that people weren't all bad after all, which was exactly what he had wanted for her. 

"I should be going now," said West. "I have a staff meeting in two minutes." Dumbledore nodded. "Bye Lily. Please try and stay out of any more trouble, ok?" Lily nodded. 

"Hey professor," she said. West looked at her. 

"What."

"You still owe me a lollipop." 

***

Lily went back to the Gryffindor common room, since Divination had ended when she had been in Dumbledore's office, and found her friends waiting for her, and groaned. She was not in the mood to tell why she had been called to Dumbledore's office. 

"Whatever is the matter, Flora?" asked Sirius evilly. Lily gave him a very weird look. 

"Flora?" she asked. "Flora. I don't even want to know where you got that. You must have been high when you made that up." 

"He's always high, Lily," said Remus, busy drawing something. Sirius pretended to look confused. 

"What in the name of Silver Arrows are you talking about?" he asked. "I've had my feet on the ground all day!" James groaned. 

"That was lame, Sirius," he said. 

"That and Flora," said Aria. Sirius grinned mischievously. 

"What's the matter, Aria? Are you jealous? Do you want me to make up a nickname for you too? How about Melody?" Aria threw a book at Sirius, who ducked just in time. 

"How about not?" she suggested. "And what on earth would I be jealous of?" Ashley could see that the subject needed to be changed. 

"Quidditch tryouts are tomorrow. Are you going to try out, Lils?" Lily shrugged. 

"I don't know. I've never played Quidditch before in my life. I know how, but I've never actually played." 

"Why don't you try out then?" asked Remus, putting down his pencil. "There's a first time for everything."

"Why don't you try out then?" Lily asked. She noticed that James, Sirius, Ashley, and Aria sent quick looks towards Remus, who seemed to take no notice of it. He smiled cheekily and then answered. 

"If I tried out for a Quidditch position, then I'd get it hands down, and then McGongall would have to do the commentary. The game would be boring if I wasn't in the top box screaming about how bad the other team is. No one would come to see the games!" Everyone except Lily laughed out loud. She shook her head sadly. 

"Remus, Remus, Remus. And I always thought that you were the sweet, kind, smart one." 

"Aw, Flora, you're a bit slow," said Sirius. "Anyone can see that I'm obviously the brains between Jamesie, Remi, Petie, and me." Remus stared at his friend. 

"Siri, I can't believe you just said that." 

"If you're the brains, Sirius," started Ashley "then James, Remus, and Peter are geniuses." 

"Are you implying that we're not geniuses?" asked James, highly offended. 

"Ha," said Lily. "If you're a genius, then I'm Albert Einstein or John Nash or Leonardo DaVinci." 

"Who in the name of Quidditch are they?" asked James, very confused. "Are they muggle cartoons like Tickle?"

"Its Tigger," corrected Lily, "and no, they are real, not car-"

"If you don't mind me cutting in to your little flirting session here, I'd like to know please, Lils, if you are going to try out or not," Aria interrupted. Lily and James both looked startled. 

"Flirting?" gasped Lily. "Me? And him? Flirting? Are you out of your mind Aria? Well of course you are, you always are, but seriously!" 

"Ew," said James childishly, scrambling over the chair. "I don't like her. She has cooties!" Lily laughed. 

"I won't comment again, but are you going to try out Lily?" asked Aria. Lily sighed. 

"I will if you shut up about it." Aria smiled brightly. 

"Good, because we already signed you up for it. We figured you'd make a pretty good beater. Now, I have to go meet Amos somewhere or the other." She walked out of the common room. Lily was shocked. 

"Um, guys, can you do me a favor?" she asked. 

"What?"

"Next time you plan on involving me in something, can you tell me what it is before I'm involved in it?' 

"No!" 

"By the way," she said, rolling her eyes. "When are tryouts?" 

"Tomorrow," said Ashley as she took out her parchment and quill to write an essay. Lily did a double take. 

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," she said laughing. "I thought that you said that the tryouts were tomorrow." Ashley looked surprised. 

"But they are tomorrow, Lils, you didn't hear me wrong." Lily almost fell out of her chair. She groaned for a while. 

"Is it that time of the month again?" asked James innocently. Lily glared at him.

"I've never played Quidditch before in my life, and tomorrow I'm expected to tryout for it?" she moaned. James smiled brightly. 

"I'll teach you how to play! I've been looking for an excuse to not do that essay on the essence of an emanation elixir." Lily looked at him doubtfully. 

"He's the next best thing to me and Remus, who would apparently get that spot hands down," said Sirius mockingly. 

"Sirius, you know that I can beat you in Quidditch any time. I've done it before," said Remus, which shut Sirius up. 

"Fine," Lily gave in. "Let's go, I have stuff to do."

"You have stuff to do?" asked James, sarcastically. "Pray tell, Madam Lily, what stuff have you to do?" he ducked as she aimed for a slap at his head. 

"I have to re-arrange my stuffed animals, if you must know, and tuck Tigger in bed. I've been neglecting him for a while and I want to make it up to him," she sniffed. James opened his mouth, but decided that it would be best to keep it shut, lest Lily get offended. Heaven forbid that happening.

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At this point I want to thank all the dearies who have reviewed so far (yea, I know I should've done this before, but I'm lazy):

****

Crazed syromaniac

LilHawaii4

AshliRyTe

Jay

Nikki

Harryett

James'girl28_9-yea, I know its weird, but so am I!J _

****

Melissa

Lady Jai

Hinkypunk

Tess

KitKat_-thanks for your input, but I dunno how the story will be, its kinda just writing itself. _

****

DaeLily

Bee

Jujubee_-thank you! I'm glad my story is unique! _

****

Bratgoddess88_-I have no idea what happened to him. Someone should start a Fluffy fic. _

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Quinn

Clavel

Jencdancer

Skye007lex_-yea, maybe Lily will beat the shit out of them_

****

Xela

Pickle Princess

Anastazia Silverwind_-thank you! You're so sweet! _

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Angel SailorM

IcyPhantom

Bella Black

Tehehehe

Haynstyle947

Caz

Lalwende


	8. Of Tryouts and Teasings

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A/N: SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG!!!!!!! I'm really sorry. Ok, when it says 'what an extraordinary person', that's McGonagall's thought. Oh, and in the last chapter when Lily said West owed her a lollipop I meant chocolate frog. Remember, way back in chapter one? No? Gee whillikers people.

DISCLAIMER: I own Aria, Ashley, Tobias, Trewyn, Joseph, Matthew, and Nicole. 

Chapter 8: Of Tryouts and Teasing

James and Lily walked out to the Quidditch Pitch, and James took some tennis balls out of a locker. He hesitated a moment, and decided to take out the bludgers as well. He would use them if she was up to the challenge of real bludgers, and, knowing Lily, he was guessing she would be. He grabbed his broom from the broom shed, and picked out a school broom that worked fairly well for her. With that, they walked out onto the field. 

James began to explain basics of Quidditch to Lily, who listened attentively. He noticed how she had a habit of twirling her hair over and over again, and how her hair shone in the sunlight. Her green eyes were glued onto him, and were like pools of liquid green, and sparkled with their own light. *_Whoa, James_*said the voice in his head. *_This is LILY we're talking about! Get real_!* He mentally shook himself and looked at Lily, whose hair was still radiant and eyes were still shimmering. *_Snap out of it James! What's the matter with you_?* He looked at Lily, who looked him in the eye, blissfully unaware of the thoughts he was thinking. 

"Do you get it?" he asked her. Lily nodded. She recited the rules of the game, the positions, and what their jobs were for him. "Ok. Let's see how well you can hit these." He handed her a bat, and put a charm on the golf balls, making them act like bludgers that didn't hurt too much when one was hit with them. They kicked off, and James watched Lily fight the bludgers. She was a very good flyer, as it turned out to be, and she had a lot of strength, which he knew from experience. She could whack the bludgers far away every time. *_She'd probably do well in the sack_,* James was horrified at the thought_. *Where in the name of Quidditch did THAT come from_?* After a while, he muttered the counter charm on the golf balls, and they dropped out of the air. Lily flew over to him. 

"How did I do?" she asked anxiously. "Am I going to be able to try out?" James looked at her as if she had gone insane. 

"Are you kidding? Narcissa Adams can beat better than you!" he said. Lily's mouth hung open in shock. James burst out laughing. "I'm kidding Lils! You did fine! I think you're going to be our next beater!" Lily scowled.

"Oh you're hilarious Scrubbing-Brush Head. That was so funny I forgot to laugh." 

"Fireball, that's the oldest saying in the book," James smirked. 

"You're the oldest saying in the book!" she exclaimed. He looked at her strangely, and she burst out laughing. *_She has such a nice laugh. And smile. Not crooked, not toothy, just per-OH GOD! STOP_!* 

"I bet you can't catch me!" she said, flying in circles around him. He gave her another strange look. 

"Lily, do you know what you're riding? It's a Shooting Star. I'm riding a Silver Arrow. Have you any idea on how much faster a Silver Arrow is than a Shooting Star?" Lily flew past him and stuck her tongue out. James laughed. "Oh, that's it." He chased her around the field, weaving in and out of the goalposts. Lily saw that he was catching up to her. 

"Impedimenta!" she yelled. James moved in slow motion for a while. She laughed as he tried in vain to keep up with her, but it was as if someone had pressed a slow motion button and he couldn't get out of it. When he was back in normal speed, he put the Jelly-Legs hex on her. She felt her legs become as useless as rubber. They flew lower and lower with their feet skimming the grass, and he came closer and closer. 

"Come on, Broomsie, you can do it," she said in a patronizing tone as she stroked the broom lovingly. "I know you can. Come on, let's beat that stuck up Silver Arrow! You hate it don't you! It's taken away all the hot brooms and left you with crap!" James laughed. 

"Broomsie?" he asked. "Broomsie. God, Lils, you're insane." She stuck her tongue out at him once more, and he leaped from his broom, tackling her onto the ground. A second later, he wished he hadn't. 

He was on top of her, holding her down by her wrists, with his face an inch away from hers, so close he could feel her warm, sweet breath on his face. Both were breathing hard, and both weren't sure what to do. Lily cast her eyes downward, still gasping for breath, and not looking at James. He gazed at her, red hair strewn prettily around her head, green eyes avoiding his. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Suddenly she looked like a fallen angel, out of place among the mortals of earth. Her lips looked incredibly soft and lush, and he was feeling the strangest desire to kiss her as hard as he possible could. *_Let it go, James, you can't have her if you don't want to hurt her. Besides, you're with Nicole cuz you and Trewyn split up again. And she's one of your best friends for gods sake_!* But he couldn't take his eyes off of her, or let go, afraid that if he did she'd vanish. 

Slowly, Lily looked at him. They were both still breathing hard, and she felt his soft, sweet breath on her face. He was holding her down by her wrists, gently but firmly so she could wriggle them, but not break free. His hair was (as usual) untidy, but it looked perfect on him. His deep brown eyes were locked on her green ones, and she found she couldn't tear her eyes away from his_. **Lily, what are you doing? Get up now! Shove him of**f_! _He can look cute at times_. **_Lily, this is JAMES we're talking about! James! Get up_**! James let go of her wrists, but before she could get away, he had interlocked his fingers with hers. Lily still panted, even though she should've had her breath back by that time. She didn't know what was happening, and she didn't even know what she was feeling. Part of her was terrified, and part of her was content. Unfortunately, the terrified portion was larger than the content portion. Suddenly, he moved his face closer to hers, ever so slowly, and she stopped breathing, scared and exhilarated to find out what he'd do next. Their noses touched, and he nuzzled against her. _Yes_. **_No_**! _Yes_! **_No_**! _YES_! **_NO_**! 

"No," she moaned softly. The spell was broken, and James drew back abruptly, as red as her hair. He jumped up as if he had been sitting on hot coals, and she sat up, hugging her knees to her chest like she had so often when she had been younger, scared, and alone. *_Smooth move, genius! Look what you've done! What were you thinking? Now she'll probably never talk to you again_!* He ran his hand through his hair distractedly, completely unsure about what to do next. Lily buried her head into her knees. 

"I-um-I better go," he finally muttered. She looked up and nodded. James squatted next to her. "Lils? I'm really sorry. I-I don't know-I mean-" She looked at him and tried to smile. 

"I know." He gave her a weak smile back, and hurried off. As soon as he was gone, she moaned and flopped backwards onto the grass, covering her face with her hands. Why hadn't she knocked him off of her? She knew she could have easily done it. But, for some reason, which she couldn't understand, she had frozen, she had let it happen. What was wrong with her? Lily had little time to ponder, for a few minutes later, Ashley appeared. 

"Hey Lils," she said, lying down next to her friend. "What's wrong?" Lily looked sideways at her. 

"Oh, um, nothing's wrong. I was just enjoying the sunset." 

"Riiight," said Ashley, obviously seeing through the lie. "You can tell me, you know." 

"Seriously, Ash, I was just sitting out here to catch my breath," she said. 

"Speaking of that, how was your date with James?" Ashley asked mischievously. At first Lily was terrified. Could Ashley have seen? What would she do? **_You'll probably have to kill her_**. _Shut up, did anyone ever tell you that you give REALLY bad advice? It's probably just Ash being a moron, as usual. She's just teasing_. 

"Come on, Ash, not you too. You know I don't like James that way." 

"Ever heard of denial, missy?" asked Ashley, as if she was asking if Lily had heard a new song on the radio. 

"Of course I have. It's a river in Egypt, Africa," said Lily airily, pulling grass out of the ground and throwing it up in the air. Ashley gave her a weird look, and then both girls burst out laughing. 

"Come on," said Ashley, offering Lily a hand. "I'll help you re-arrange your stuffed animals." 

*** 

The next day, Ashley and Aria awoke Lily early in the morning in the usual way of stealing her blanket and pillows. As usual, Lily yelled a series of threats to no avail, and grudgingly got out of bed. Once awake, she realized what the day was, and tried to go back to sleep, but was stopped. Lily groaned, but brushed her teeth and took a shower. Still not fully awake, her friends led her to breakfast. 

"Lemme go," she groaned disoriented, struggling to unlink her elbows from her friends'. "I can walk, you know."

"Lily, _dahling_, would you rather have us or James escort you to breakfast?" asked Aria innocently. That made Lily stop struggling and walk quicker to the Great Hall. 

After breakfast, she walked out to the Quidditch pitch, along with Aria, Remus, Sirius, Ashley, and James, who were coming along to cheer her on. She saw her fellow competitors already there, and that they were mostly male. Many girls were sitting in the stands, waiting for James, Sirius, and Remus, who, to Ashley's, Lily's, and Aria's disapproval, flirted shamelessly with their admirers. She felt a knot form in her stomach, the reason she did not understand or know. All she knew was that if Nicole Holmes knew what her beloved boyfriend was doing with Trewyn Li at that moment, all hell would have broken loose.

Davy Gudgeon led the tryouts, even though he wasn't on the Quidditch team. Although James was Captain, he was not allowed to lead tryouts, and McGonagall was in a meeting, so Davy was assigned the task. He explained the practice schedule and the responsibility of a player, while Lily's thoughts drifted to the day before, when James had been on top of her. She shivered, and wished it had never happened, and yetand yet, a part of her (a very small part, mind you) was happy that it had. **_It's the Scottish air again_**,she told herself.** _It's messing with your thoughts. You know that you wanted him off of you_**. Lily wondered why on earth she had even let him stay one her, once again, when she knew she could have easily knocked him off. Could it possibly be that she liked him? **_Dahling, have you gone insane_**? _Shut up! I'm trying to figure things out, unlike you who jumps to conclusions like a frog jumps to lilly pads_! She glanced over to the stands where her friends were sitting, and saw James Sirius, and Remus flirting with their admirers, and smiled wryly. **_See? You definitely don't want that. The way he handles girls is disgusting. Why would you want to be treated like that? Led on and on, having your heart toyed and teased with, believing that he loves you and that you'll be together forever until he finds a new heart, and shatters yours_**? Lily watched as Trewyn laughed in a high, fake voice and tousled his hair flirtatiously, as he leaned over to kiss her. _Either he doesn't see how mean she is or he doesn't care. But they must see it, especially Remus. And the girls at this school are completely blind. How can they fall for him? How can they believe that they'll be special, that he'll spend at least a week on them? And since they must see how they treat other girls, they must not care either. See_? At that time, Davy finished explaining whatever he had been explaining, and then actually began the tryouts.

"All right, we have Joseph Thomas, Tobias Patterson, Matthew Lynn, and Lily Evans trying out for the position of beater." When Davy announced her name, the three other boys smirked. 

"Lily Evans? I thought she was just here to watch! Are you sure you're reading right, I mean, with your eye and all?" jeered Matthew. Just the week before, Davy had tried to get close enough to the knot that stopped the Whomping Willow's branches from thrashing, and had nearly lost his eye in the process. Davy glared at Matthew.

"I'm reading just fine, Matt, but thanks for the concern."

"But it's for the position of beater, Davy! Girls can't be beaters!" explained Joseph, as if Davy was a bit slow in the head. Lily was furious. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Girls couldn't beat? What the frick was up with that? 

"I'll beat YOU if you don't take that back!" she yelled angrily. The stands quieted, and settled to watch the argument. 

"She'll beat you, Joe," Tobias warned. "She practically killed Trewyn on the first night, and-" Angry looks from Trewyn and Lily silenced him. Joseph smirked at her. 

"I still stand by what I said: girls can't be beaters."

"She's a hell of a better beater than you are, Thomas," said James, suddenly on the Quidditch field with Sirius, Remus, Ashley, and Aria. Joseph laughed.

"Yea, right. How would you know? Did she give you a couple kisses to stand up for her?" That was it for Lily. Being degraded about sports because she was a girl was one thing, but being called a whore was another. A very big other. She lunged at him, but was held back by her friends. 

"LET ME GO! I said I'd beat him and I will! I'm not a whore! LET ME GO!" Joseph laughed harder. 

"Yea, let her go. I want to see this."

"You won't be seeing anything when I'm done!" said Lily furiously. The anger that had been boiling up in her when she had met Glenn that night was back, and it was just bursting to be let out. _Lily, no! you've got to learn how to settle things in a better way! Fighting isn't worth it! HE'S not worth it_! **_Don't listen! That son of a bitch just called you a whore and said that you were lower than he is because you're a girl! Teach him a lesson he won't forget_**! The anger won over her sense. She wriggled free of everyone's grasp, and hit Joseph in the face and just below the belt before anyone could say or do anything. Joseph stopped laughing, and began to whimper and gasp for breath. 

"You-you-you-" Lily grabbed him by his shirt. 

"Say it again," she whispered dangerously, challenging him. "Tell me that girls can't be beaters. Tell me I'm a whore." Joseph's nose started bleeding, so Lily dropped him onto the ground. He half ran and half bunny-hopped to the castle. Everyone was silent and some were looking terrified, as if they had seen Lord Voldemort. 

"Um, on with the tryouts," Davy said feebly. The other two boys looked at him as if he were crazy. 

"Are you out of your mind?" asked Tobias. "She just killed Joe! Someone go call McGonagall!" 

"No need," said Davy. "She's heading this way." Lily's heart sank faster than a stone dropped into water, but her anger wasn't gone yet. 

"MISS EVANS!" screamed a furious professor. "What in the name of Merlin's beard made you attack Mr. Thomas?" 

"He provoked her, professor-"

"He was saying that she couldn't do it-"

"He was being sexist-"

"He judged her without even knowing her-"

"He deserved it, Professor-" were the flurry of answers from her friends. McGonagall gave them a silencing look. 

"I believe I asked Miss Evans, and not the whole stadium," she said icily, and turned to Lily. Great, she couldn't tell McGonagall that he had called her a whore. She probably wouldn't care. **_Make it up_**! _Just tell her what happened, but delicately_! **_GI-DELICATELY? He wasn't being delicate_**! _Listen, just tell her the truth_! Lily took a deep breath. 

"My temper got the better of me. He said I couldn't do it. When people tell me I can't do something without letting me try it, it ticks me off, simply stated. And he called me a whore, just because I'm a girl. I can't stand when people judge other people without at least talking to them or knowing them first, and I know that I do it sometimes, but I get ticked off at myself too. Tell me something, Professor, have you ever been degraded simply because you're a woman?" McGonagall didn't know what to say or think. _What an extraordinary person_. "Anyway, I'm sorry. I know I need to control my temper. I-I'll go pack my things. Should I send West the owl telling him that I'm being expelled or will you?" McGonagall was temporarily stunned for a few moments, but then shook herself mentally. 

"Miss Evans, I assure you that you are not expelled, but you will need to see Professor Dumbledore-" Lily nodded and turned towards the castle. "-Right after the tryouts." Lily was speechless, as were her friends. McGonagall was letting her tryout. She was letting Lily off. Lily nodded, and smiled a small smile. She was getting the hang of people being nice. McGonagall gave her a rare, real smile. 

The tryouts were held. By the end, it looked as if it was a tie between Tobias and Lily. The results would be posted after dinner. McGonagall came for Lily, and her friends gave her reassuring looks, which calmed her a bit. Once again, she found herself in Dumbledore's office, for the second time that week. 

"Ah, Miss Evans. So nice to see you again!" said Dumbledore when she and McGonagall entered the office. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Lily felt nervous and even frightened again, a rare feeling for her. 

"She had a fight with Joseph Thomas, Professor," McGonagall explained. "Apparently, Mr. Thomas thought it highly amusing that a girl was trying out for the position of beater, and he also accused her of prostitution, so Miss Evans decided to teach him how well she could, well, beat." Dumbledore's eyes flashed with-well-almost anger when McGonagall told him what Joseph had said, and twinkled with amusement at the last part, which seemed like a good sign to Lily. 

"Thank you, Professor," said Dumbledore. McGonagall nodded and left the office. The smiling man turned back to Lily. "So Miss Evans. I must tell you that although I understand that you were angry that you were being discriminated just because of what you are and what you are not, but fighting is against the rules of Hogwarts. I'm afraid that I must give you a detention, and I can assure you that I will have a word with Mr. Thomas." Lily sighed in relief. She was glad that she was only getting a detention. She had had many of those at Hogwarts, for pulling various tricks on Snape, Malfoy, and Lestrange. However

"Um, just detention, sir?" she asked timidly. "I mean, its not that I want points taken away or anything like that, but aren't you going to lecture me about fighting? Not that I want you to, but I was just wondering." Dumbledore chuckled. 

"I don't need to, Miss Evans. I believe you have learned that lesson already." When Lily looked confused, he went on. "I can tell that you have learned what you have done is wrong because you asked me if I was going to lecture you on fighting. You were ashamed, but ready to face the consequences, which is a lesson greater than what we teach here in school. It is a lesson you have to learn by yourself: taking responsibility for your actions, which I can see you are beginning to learn." Lily nodded politely. _It's official. He's completely insane_, she thought. _Still, he's pretty cool for an insane person. Now I guess I see why West likes him so much. Its like he can read your mind_. 

"Your detention will take place on this Friday night in the trophy room, which is right next to the girl's bathroom," said Dumbledore. Lily nodded, and then turned to leave. "And Miss Evans?" She turned back to him. "Remember that you are not made by what people say, but what you do. What people have to say has little to do with what you choose to do." With those words to ponder upon, she smiled and left. When she reached the common room, she found her friends waiting expectantly for her. She sighed. 

"No, he didn't yell at me, he said that he saw that I had already learned my lesson, and he gave me a detention for Friday night." Everyone looked satisfied. Lily shook her head. "So, did anyone see Thomas?" The other six laughed, and she scowled. She had been serious. 

"Lily, you scared the hell out of him," said Remus, finally done laughing. "He's sitting in the hospital wing right now, crying for his mum." Lily smacked her forehead. _Smooth move_, she thought.

"If Tigger had been in my place, I bet he wouldn't have beaten the crap out of Joseph," she moaned, and then snapped back into reality. Everyone looked at her as if she had just sprouted an extra head. "D-did I just say that out loud?" she asked weakly. Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter broke into identical evil grins. 

"Uh-oh Lils," said Aria. "You better get away while you can and hope that they forget that." Lily turned as red as her hair. 

"So, Flora, my dear," started Sirius, grinning insanely. 

"I think Tigger would be a more appropriate nickname for our dear Miss Evans," said James, joining in. "Don't you think so, Moony?" _Moony_? Lily thought, forgetting her embarrassment for a moment. _Since when have they called Remus that_? 

"I think that Tigger would be a perfect nickname for our dear Lily, seeing how she idolizes the animated tiger made of rubber and springs so much," said Remus, trying hard not to laugh again. 

"Tell me, do you always ask yourself what Tigger would do in your place? Do you worship him? Is he your dream date? That is, after James," said Sirius, devilishly. A wave of panic crossed Lily's mind. Did Sirius know about what had happened on the grounds? Had James told him? _That would be so like him! To gloat about it! God, and I believed he was sorry_! She glanced quickly at James, who, ever so slightly, shook his head. Lily relaxed, and then fluttered her eyelashes at Sirius, sat beside him, and stroked his hair. 

"Oh, Sirius," she said sweetly, pretending to be hurt. "How can you be so blind? My dream date isn't James. Its you and it always has been!" Sirius looked pretty convinced, and so did Remus and James, who was beginning to get a funny feeling in his stomach. Aria was too. 

"Really?" he asked. Lily rolled her eyes and slapped him lightly. 

"No, you idiot!" Lily got up and sat in an empty chair. "Good lord, someone slap me the day I fall for any of you." 

"That day will be here soon, I bet," said Ashley, ducking as Lily reached out for her, though for a moment, she almost hoped that what Ashley had said was right. Just for a moment. 

"I'm going to bed," she said, feeling very tired all of a sudden. 

"Goodnight Tigger!" Came four voices. Lily groaned. James had a detention, Ashley planned on drawing, and Remus went to the Owlery, which left Sirius and Aria alone. 

Thank you to:

**Clavel**-I love West too! Let's start a fan club! Joking **Malkavian Kirie Croiff**-Nope, I didn't know she was learning english. Tell her to keep working at it and keep getting better, it's a killer to learn. **SugarCube55**-Well yea, he was mad at him, but I forgot to write it. :$ **Hermione the Best**-Thanks! You're so sweet! **Snufalufagus**-Teehee, thanks! **Clare**-Gee, thank you! 


	9. Of Discoveries andMessing with Elephants

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A/N: I have two things to say:1. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!! Thank you SO much to everyone who reviewed, you're all so sweet! 2. Please, don't ask where I got the elephants. I have absolutely NO idea myself. J 

DISCLAIMER: I own Aria and Ashley. Sad, yea I know. 

Chapter 9: Of Discoveries andMessing with Elephants?

Aria stretched out on a couch on her stomach and closed her eyes, dreaming ofpasta. Real, Italian, mouthwatering pasta, just like they had back home in Venice. Her thick, curly black hair framed her face as it settled into a dreamy expression, remembering the gondolas, the canals, the angels and lions, the rivers that were streets, and the labyrinth of alleyways that made up her homeland. The corner by which she lived, the Campo Morosino in San Marco, was a particularly beautiful area, and was completely inhabited by witches and wizards. But, the beauty of her beloved neighborhood was that if any muggle walked through it, they would never know that it was packed with witches and wizards, for the magical residents lived like any other Venetian, riding gondolas, going to church, and walking around their beautiful city. Rarely did the magical folk ever fly anywhere. Aria always missed her home sorely whenever she came to Hogwarts. Although she loved Hogwarts dearly, and loved studying magic there, it just wasn't the same as her beloved Venice. Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized Sirius was standing in front of her, smirking. She scowled at him. 

"What?"

"Did anyone ever tell you that when you think of home you get a really dreamy and hungry expression on your face?" Sirius asked. Aria laughed. "Teach me some Venetian." Aria made a weird face at her friend. 

"Um, do you mean Italian?" 

"Whatever." 

"No, ask me properly and maybe I will." Sirius sighed, and then smiled mischievously. 

"Anything for my dear Melody." Aria stuck out her tongue at him, and made room for him to sit down next to her. "Teach me some Italian." 

"Well, let's start there. _Cara_ means 'my dear'. So, God forbid, if you wanted to say 'my dear Melody' in Italian, you would say '_cara Aria'_," she explained. Sirius stared at her. "Of course, if that's too much for your puny brain to handle, we can drop-"

"Your name means Melody?" he interrupted. She nodded, not blushing at all. "Damn I'm good at this nickname thing. I only called you Melody because you sing all the time." Now she turned deep red. 

"Wh-what do you mean I sing all the time?" she asked. He grinned evilly. 

"You thought no one could hear you, didn't you?" She nodded. "Well you were wrong. This Marauder is always watching. Or in this case, listening" She moaned.

"If you tell anyone-"

"-How do you say good?"

"We really have to work on your etiquette. I can't remember the last time I finished a sentence. But its _Benissimo_," said Aria, sounding it out for him. He grinned. 

"All right then. You sing _benissimo_, _cara_ _Aria_!" Sirius said this imitating her perfectly, and adding in a few hand gestures to make it more dramatic. She rolled her eyes and burst out laughing, as did he. After they had finished, they realized just how close their faces were, about an inch apart in fact. They looked at each other, surprised, and then broke apart, moving away. 

"So," said Aria, not sure of what to do next, but wanting to change the subject. "Are you going to tell Lily about Remus?" Sirius shook his head. 

"Its Remus's secret, and he has to be the one to decide whether or not he tells her," said Sirius. 

"I know," she said softly, laying her head on his shoulder. He instinctively put an arm around her. This gesture felt completely natural for them. Ever since they had become friends, they had stayed up late at nights, talking about anything and everything.

"Its not that he doesn't trust her, or anything like that. Its just that, the stupid prat he is, thinks that she won't want to be his friend after she finds out, and-" he said hurriedly, anxiously looking at Aria and begging her to understand. 

"I know," she said again. "He's Remus. He's too noble to let anyone carry his burden or help him. And he'd never want Lily to know because he still doesn't understand that we're his friends and we'd never leave him. He's just that way. God, I still remember how scared he was when we told him we knew. I-I'll never forget his face." Sirius sighed, relieved that she understood. "I-I just wish that there was a way we could help him. You know, to make his transformations more bearable." Sirius almost told her the plan he, James, Remus, and Peter had been working on, but grudgingly decided against it. If she knew, she might want to take part in it, and he couldn't let her. It was too dangerous. If anything happened to her, he wouldn't know what to do. 

"Yea," he simply said. They changed the subject to what kind of torture they could subject Snape to next, and had almost agreed on a suitable prank, when, to everyone's surprise, Amos Diggory stormed into the common room. Amos. Her boyfriend. At first, it had been fun. He had taken her to Hogsmeade, and bought her lots of candy, and they had kissed a lot. He used to tell her that she was beautiful and that he loved her every day. They had become such good friends too. Now, he didn't take her out as often, and he always seemed bored and restless whenever she was with him. He didn't tell her that she was beautiful as often, and there weren't as many kisses. They fought more as well. The main subject of their fights always seemed about her being friends with James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Amos didn't like the fact that they were friends, and Aria couldn't understand why. No one said a word. It was obvious he was angry, by the way his eyes flashed. When he saw Aria and Sirius on the couch together, it seemed as if he would explode. Aria smiled and got up to kiss him, completely oblivious to the fact that his face was red with anger, as red as a tomato. 

"Hey," she said. "How did you get in here? Who let you in?" That made it worse for Amos. 

"I think that that is completely besides the point at the moment," he hissed. "We were supposed to meet half an hour ago at the Quidditch Pitch. I come in here and find you snuggling up to Sirius Black, and you ask me, of all things, how I got in here. Don't you think you should apologize?" Aria's mouth hung open in shock. 

"Wh-what?" she asked, completely taken by surprise. Snuggling up to Sirius Black? Was Amos high or something? 

"You're right, it probably wasn't your fault," he said sighing, calming down a tad. She breathed a relieved breath and smiled warily. "Black probably came onto you, didn't he?" He turned to face Sirius, who now stood up, angry. Aria looked from one to the other and her jaw dropped farther. 

"WHAT? Sirius coming onto me? Amos we've been best friends since first year! We don't like each other that way! What's wrong with you?" she yelled indignantly. The very idea! Sirius coming onto her! What was wrong with Amos? 

"Sit down, Aria, this is between Black and I," said Amos, never taking his eyes off of Sirius. She stared at him, dumbfound. 

"Sit down? What am I, a dog? And this has absolutely nothing to do with him! We were talking! He's my friend! Why do you always get so angry when I mention him and James and Remus and Peter?" she shouted, a lump forming in her throat. They had had these fights before, more often than usual now. She hated fighting. It made her feel like a horrible person. Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing. Him? Come onto her? What was Diggory thinking? And who did he think he was, telling Aria to sit, like she was an animal? He took a deep breath and smiled, though not at all his usual smile. This one was cold, and mean. 

"Don't worry Diggory, I wouldn't dream of coming onto your girlfriend. I can get a girl by asking her, I don't have to steal one from someone else, unlike certain people in this room." Amos snarled, Aria was confused, and Sirius was still smiling that unnatural smile. 

"Are you trying to say something Black? Because if you are, just come out with it," Amos took a step closer to Sirius. "That's what real men do, they don't hide behind their words. They get them out in the open. Or are you afraid?" Sirius laughed, a laugh that made her shiver. That wasn't Sirius real laugh. It was cold, just like that smile. 

"What I'm saying is that you're an idiot if you think that I'd go down to your level and steal Aria from you. See, I don't have to steal something to get it." That did it for Amos. 

"Why you little-"

"Little what? Come on, hit me like 'a real man'!" 

"Stop it! Both of you stop it! Please!" Aria screamed, stepping in between the two. This was completely ridiculous. She didn't even understand why they were fighting. They were so alike they could even be friends. Both were stubborn, sweet, and loved Quidditch. Why were they being so stupid? Especially Amos. What was he on? Sirius could see the tears forming in her eyes, tiny though they were, and stepped down. He knew that if Aria burst out crying, he'd get angry and kill Amos, and that if he said anything, she'd be embarrassed for almost crying. Sirius began to walk away. Aria put her head in her hands, and Amos just stood, seething. Without warning, he threw a punch at Sirius's head. He turned around just in time to stop his fist. Aria screamed and the whole of the common room turned to see what he would do next. Sirius looked him in the eye. 

"Well aren't you a real man. I bet no girl could resist your male charms." Sirius dropped his fist. Amos glanced at Aria, who was staring at the wall across from her. 

"We'll finish this later," he said, and turned to leave. As soon as he was gone, the common room fell back into its usual chatter, except this time it was more excited. Aria made her way to the girls' staircase. She needed to get away before she exploded. She was so angry she couldn't think. What was wrong with Amos? Why was he acting like that? She had almost reached the staircase when Sirius caught her arm and hugged her. 

"Sorry about that," he said. "I probably got you into trouble." She smiled. 

"It's not your fault. You get me into trouble every day. I've had way too many detentions to count." 

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked. She smiled brightly and nodded. Of course, he knew that she was not all right, that she was lying though her teeth. But, he also knew that saying anything would only make it worse. "Ok. I'm in my room if you need anything." He turned to leave, and she stared after him smiling. When he had reached the stairs she called out to him. 

"Hey you."

"What?" She smiled at him, a real smile. 

"_Grazie_. Thank you." 

***

The position of beater was posted, as promised, that night after dinner, but since she had gone to bed after the tryouts, Lily had not found out if she had become the beater or not. Her friends had though. The first thing she saw when she awoke the next morning were their faces beaming at her, assembled around her bed. She had screamed, and they just beamed at her even brighter. They had waited until she had realized what was going on, and then dropped a bombshell on her, causing her to bolt out of bed, dance, and sing at the top of her lungs all at once. She had made beater. She was on the Quidditch team. 

Friday night came along, and Lily went to the trophy room to shine the trophies without magic. She was used to muggle cleaning, since six out of eight foster families had made her and Petunia work for their meals, and one out of the three orphanages had made the children there clean the place from top to bottom. She found the work relaxing, a time to think about things. Things like Quidditch, why Petunia hated her, andJames? **_Now why, pray tell would you want to think about him? Maybe it's because of the way he dumped Nicole for Elouise Jones, just because Elouise is prettier than she is? Or maybe its because he does that to every girl_**. Or maybe the way he runs his hand through his hair every so often, or the way his eyes light up when he's happy, or-Lily threw the brush back into a pail of sudsy water, splashing foam onto herself, which did not improve her mood. She was frustrated. Those kinds of thoughts were coming too often. _I don't like James that way. No I don't. And if I ever fall for him, hell is going to freeze over because falling for him would be like being gutted by a samurai. Or a knight. Orwell anything sharp. Point is it would hurt, and I wouldn't let me do that to me_. Still, the thoughts persisted. Lily scrubbed a Quidditch cup more vigorously. She needed something to take her mind off of James. Something like

It was around eleven-thirty James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter went down to the common room. Each boy carried something with him: James his Invisibility Cloak, Sirius his bag, Remus a book as wide as a redwood tree, and Peter a cauldron and ladle. They scanned the area to make sure that no one was there, and when they were certain they were alone, they gathered at a table. 

"Can't we please stop by Snape's bedroom and leave a present for him?" whined Sirius. "It will only take five minutes." James rolled his eyes. 

"No, Sirius, but I promise you that if you shut up about your present I'll let you borrow the cloak to leave it tomorrow, ok?" Sirius agreed. 

"Are we going to be able to fit under there with all of our stuff?" asked Remus skeptically. "I mean, Sirius here is no mouse. More like an elephant. And he snores like one too." 

"Moony, how the hell would you know about how and if elephants snore? Unless there's something you're not telling us. Getting a little action from those thousand pound chicks, are you?" Sirius retorted, grinning. Remus leaned back in his chair, grinning as well. 

"Oh yea. Man, you should try them, they're so damn good." James glanced at one friend to the other. 

"Do you realize what you're talking about? How the hell did we get from Invisibility Cloaks to messing around with female elephants?" 

"Ah, shut up Jamie-boy, you're just jealous of us. We all know you want to mess around with an elephant," Sirius wheezed from laughing so hard. James gave him a look. 

"Riiight, well back to Moony's question. I hope we'll fit. I wish we could use a lengthening charm on it, but it repels spells." 

"Besides," said Sirius, grinning. "We'd need Lily for that, seeing as she's the best in charms. I bet you'd love that, wouldn't you Jamie-boy? She could teach you some charms and you can use them to charm her pants off!" James groaned. 

"First of all, Sirius, I don't like her in that way! We're just friends, unlike a certain Venetian and a certain insane pervert who I'm going to beat the crap out of at any minute. Second of all, don't EVER call me Jamie-boy again." 

"Whatever you say, Jamie. And there's nothing going on between Aria and me." James laughed. 

"Uh huh, Sirius. Whatever." He threw the cloak over himself and his friends, and they left the common room. 

Lily was busy puzzling over the mystery of where Remus went every month, though she cleaned with just as much vigor. She tried to sort out her thoughts, which seemed to be as tangled as Petunia's hair. She knew that he disappeared once a month to apparently visit a family member or deal with a crisis. Also, he hated silver and wolfsbane. She knew this because he always asked to be excused whenever they handled it in class, and was always granted the request. Lily sat back on her heels. She knew that there was something else, something she was missing. She closed her eyes and thought back to that last time that Remus had disappeared. She, Aria, Ashley, James, Peter, and Sirius had stolen every single pair of Snape's boxers, and hung then from the branches of various trees on the grounds. Afterwards, they had sat by the lake and sucked on sugar quills. Lily smiled, remembering the moon and the stars on that night_wait! The moon! It was full! What if-what if Remus is a werewolf? His symptoms are correct, he disappears once a month during the full moon, and he looks tired and sick afterwards, and he can't touch silver or wolfsbane because its like poison to him_! Lily shook her head, and almost laughed. She needed to think rationally. Remus couldn't be a werewolf. He just couldn't. He was sweet, and kind, and sensitive, and fun, and caring, and everything a werewolf wasn't. She finished polishing the last trophy and entered the girl's bathroom to wash the polish off her hands. Just as she entered, she heard voices whispering. 

"James no, don't put that in yet, we have to add that in the end!"

"Six chameleon tails, not eight. You need to clean out your ears, Sirius."

"Let it simmer first, Peter, then add the boomslang skin!" Lily froze and realized that her friends were in the bathroom. And these weren't Aria and Ashley. It was James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. She found the stall they were in and opened the door. Inside were four horror-stricken boy's faces looking at her, circled around a large, bubbling cauldron. The sight would have been funny if it were not so confusing. 

"What are you doing here?" she and the boys asked each other in unison. 

"I came in to wipe the polish off my hands. What are you guys doing here? And what are you brewing?" asked Lily. The four boys swiftly exchanged quick glances. Finally, James spoke. 

"We-we can't tell you, Lily," he said, sadly. "But I swear that it's not a prank or anything." He and the other three looked pleadingly at her. James had locked his eyes on hers, and she found herself unable to look away. _No, not this again. Ah crap, why am I such a sucker for his eyes_? **_Wha-gi-its not his eyes! God, just_** **get a grip and say something**! Lily nodded. 

"Ok," she said softly. "I just want to ask you one thing." She turned to look at Remus. "Are-are you a werewolf?" Remus's eyes widened, along with everyone else's. He paled, and a flicker of fear passed in his eyes. 

"How-what-who-"

"No one told me," she said quietly. "I just put it all together. You disappear once a month on the full moon, and you can't touch silver or wolfsbane. No one told." Remus closed his eyes and sunk to the floor, head in his hands. 

"Yes," he said in a dull, lifeless voice. "I am a werewolf." He looked up at Lily, expecting to see fear or anger in her face, and was surprised when he saw sadness and compassion instead. "I was four years old when I was bitten. I've transformed once a month since then. I was sure that I would never be allowed into Hogwarts. The year before I came, Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he insisted that I come, and that as long as certain precautions were taken, there was no reason not to. You know that knot that freezes the branches of the Whomping Willow? It does that so I can get to the passage that leads to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. The howls the villagers hear aren't angry spirits. I-it's me they hear. I transform there, safe from people." Lily was shocked. She couldn't stand the fact that someone as kind and compassionate as Remus had to endure this torture once a month. It all seemed like someone had played a trick on him, a cruel, heartless, sickening trick. Now she understood the secrecy, the nickname Moony, it all made sense. _Why? This isn't fair! This isn't right! God, he shouldn't have to go through that! Why him? He'd never hurt a fly! He must be in so much pain every time he transforms! How can someone so innocent be punished so cruelly_? Remus stood up, a pained expression on his young face, an expression, Lily thought, he should never have had to wear. "I understand that this changes everything, and that you probably don't want to be friends. I don't blame you at all, really. I just want you to know that I'm honored that we were friends-"

"Remus!" exclaimed Lily, shocked, exasperated, and angry. She hadn't been this close to crying since she had said good-bye to Salem. "What are you rambling about?" Remus looked confused. Lily half-sighed and half-sobbed. "Did you honestly think that I would stop being friends with you because of a little thing like that? Come on! What kind of monster do you think I am? I-I-I'm so sorry you have to go through that. I can't believe-its-its not fair!" She turned her gaze skyward, biting her lip. _Damn it, I SO won't cry_. Remus wasn't sure whether to hug her or not. Would she recoil? Would she scream? Thankfully, she hugged him. He sighed with relief. She would still be his friend. Lily laughed, despite herself. "Besides, you're the only one of these morons that's capable of civilized conversation." He laughed along with her. James and Sirius looked shocked. 

"Really Tigger," said Sirius in a hurt voice. "Is that how you feel?" 

"We'll just have to prove her wrong then," said James. "For the next week we will be complete gentlemen." Lily snorted. 

"Whatever," she said. "What does the potion have to do with all this?" James' and Sirius' eyes lit up excitedly. "Um, do I want to know?"

"'Course you do, Tigger!" exclaimed Sirius, throwing an arm around her shoulders. Lily moaned. 

"You see, werewolves don't affect other animals if they bite them. And we were trying to find a way for us to be with Remus during his transformations without putting ourselves at risk of being bitten. Then I remembered the thing about the animals not being affected, and then it hit me: If Sirius, Peter, and I were Animagi, then we could make the transformations bearable! Remus could rip us open instead of ripping himself open, and we wouldn't even have scars. Of course we'd probably be sore as hell, but eh, what can you do." James explained. Lily stared at her friends with her mouth open. 

"Thank you for the graphic descriptions," she said, looking a bit pale. 

"You're welcome milady."

"S-so you're going to become Animagi?" she asked faintly. "How-when-"

"We sneaked into the restricted section and found the book, and the potion should be ready in time for the next transformation," said Sirius. 

"Whoa," said Lily. "Can I help?" The four boys exchanged glances. "Oh come on! Please?" 

"Actually," said Remus slowly, "you can." 

"How?" Lily asked. 

"When the time comes for us to take the potion, there's something that you, Aria, and Ash can do," said Sirius, in the same way Remus had spoken. 

"What is it?" asked Lily impatiently. James picked up the book and began to read. 

"The tonic should be drunk on the night of a full moon. Before drinking, a drop of blood from the drinker must be added to the potion. After it has been drunk, a young maiden must chant this spell three times: Vires ad mutare." He looked up from the book. "Since three of us are going to be taking the potion, we need three young maidens to say the spell nine times." 

"Ok," said Lily. "I'll tell Aria and Ashley in the morning." She turned to leave, and halfway to the door, Remus called out to her. 

"Lily." She turned towards him. "Aria and Ash already know about me. Please, please don't tell anyone about me or the potion." Lily smiled reassuringly. 

"I promise," she said. "Good night." 

THANKS A MILLION TO:

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Chickensoup3-thank you so much!

**Xela**-yea, me too! that's why I came up with this: fresh, original, hot off the griddle, just like a good pancake. 

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Cai-Dragon Savious-heeheeheeSirius and Aria alone. I didn't do TOO much, because there are some tiny tots reading. I wouldn't want to scar the for life. And no, I never knew that! I'll try it! 

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Hermione the Best-gee whiz you're so sweet! Thanks! I'll try to include more ass-kicking in the future! 

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Malkavian Kirie Croiff-I'm honored my pathetic little fic made you write a long review. Gee whiz, where's my tissue box

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Kimali Lautoka-thank you!

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Gooey Gooey Cocoa Beans-omg don't think that that's horrible! Personally, I love the death scene too. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not evil. I just think I did a good job if I do say so myself. I'm glad you liked it! 

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Clavel-eee! I love Tigger too! 

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Lady fuschia-thank you soooooo much! Man you guys are too much! 

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Caz-mwuhahahahahyou'll seetime will take its course and tell

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Snufalufagus-lol, thanks! I always thought it was cool when authors thanked people personally too!

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SiriDragon-thank you! 


	10. Of Quidditch and Secrets

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A/N: I'm a lazy bum, I know, I'm sorry that I took so long. But here it is now, soooooo, y'all know what to do, hit that purple button and make my day! Oh, and when you see ~_blah blah blah_.~ _that means Ashley's thoughts. And Ebony's last name is Green (she's Trewyn's friend). _

DISCLAIMER: I own LOTSA people this timeJ !!! Aria, Ashley, Gill, Pawe, Wehng, Brown, Jolt, Hammond, Trewyn, and Green (Ebony). 

Chapter 10: Of Quidditch and Secrets

Aria and Ashley agreed to perform their part in the ceremony, although all three girls were pissed that the Marauders refused to let them become Animagi as well. They had asked as soon as Lily had told them of the boys' plan, only to be answered with a 'no way!' and a door slammed in their faces. James, Sirius, and, especially Remus knew that they would have to deal with something ten times worse then PMS for the rest of the week, but they also knew that if something went wrong and their friends were hurt, it would be their fault, and they couldn't handle that. Peter agreed, though not because he was concerned about the three girls, but because he didn't want them stealing attention away from him on one of the few times it was just him and the Marauders together. He hated the way he faded into the background whenever those three were around, and wished dearly that they would go away. Of course, they didn't mention any of this to the furious females, who begged and pleaded time and time again, only to be denied. Lily, Aria, and Ashley had even begun to make their own potion, but Remus had caught them. The three finally gave up. 

Meanwhile, Quidditch practice had begun. James, Sirius, Aria, Ashley, and Lily were training day and night for the upcoming Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. James was captain, and trained the team vigorously on moves, tactics, and plays. Lily was amazed at how focused everyone, even James and Sirius became when it came to Quidditch. It was as if this was the one thing they lived for. They always looked refreshed and alive after Quidditch practice, no matter how hard they played. Even Trewyn and Ebony seemed to be focused on the game. 

***

Ashley sat in the common room on the night before the big game, furious with the world. She had tried to sleep, honestly she had. She'd lain in bed for hours, and she managed to sleep for a little while, but thenit had happened again. Another horrific dream had decided to pay her a visit. Ashley had never been scared by nightmares of any sort since she had been a kid, but she was certain that this was no ordinary nightmare. Her nightmares had never been this vivid, thisreal. ~_But they're not real_,~ she tried to tell herself. ~_They can't be. Dreams aren't real. Yea, that's it. There's nothing wrong_.~ Ashley tried desperately to calm herself, but nothing was working. There was something wrong. Very wrong. Last week, she had had a dream like this. Ever since then, she had been afraid to close her eyes 

__

~There had been a man and woman, Aurors that worked with her father, dueling with a shadowy figure clad in black, but with terrifying red, snake-like eyes. The figure caught them off guard, and tortured them with the Cruciatus Curse for what seemed like an eternity. When he lifted the curse, they had been lying on the ground, twitching unnaturally with blood pouring from deep gashes and enormous bruises all over their bodies. Their eyes rolled crazily inside of their sockets, and the man begged with tears in his eyes for his wife to be spared, to take his life instead. The figure laughed, a cruel, merciless, bone-chilling laugh, and killed them with a flash of green light .~

The next day, David Bones had received an owl saying that Lord Voldemort had killed his parents. Ashley had almost fainted when she had heard the news. Ever since then, she hadn't dared to close her eyes. She dreaded the night, and tried to postpone going to bed as long as she could manage. But she was so very tired. Maybe, if she just closed her eyes for a few seconds, she could rid herself of some fatigue. Yea. That's what she would do. 

Remus had been watching her ever since she came down to the common room. He had just finished his homework and was about to go to the dormitory, when Ashley came down the stairs, looking more frustrated and angry than he had ever seen her as before, and never noticing that he was there. She had sat down on the couch in front of the fire and drew furiously for half an hour, and then, she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. Remus sat down next to her now, watching her with a worried expression on his face. Someone who did not know her would think that she looked perfectly normal as she slept, even peaceful, but Remus could see through that. All of a sudden, a look of panic spread across her face. Her eyes, though behind closed eyelids, were looking around wildly for someone, something. Remus stroked her soothingly, but was unable to calm her, as she had begun to shake uncontrollably. Now he was scared. There was something very wrong happening to her. 

"Ashley! Ash wake up! Wake up!" he called to her, but she only let out a shrill scream and her eyes flew open, wide with terror. 

"Wh-why-you-?" she asked, still shaking and terrified. 

"Ashley what the hell just happened?" he asked, relieved that she was all right, but still scared of what had just occurred. A single tear ran down her face. Remus hugged her, and instinctively held her in his arms while she sobbed against his shoulder. "Sh, sh, don't cry Ash, I'm here. Its ok." 

"They won't stop," she whispered, pulling away. Remus put an arm around her. 

"What won't stop?" he asked, stroking her arm gently, but she only shook her head. "Come on, Ash, you can tell me." 

"I can't-I don't-Its nothing," she muttered. Remus rolled his eyes. 

"Obviously its not."

"How would you know?" she snapped. 

"Oh, I don't know Ashley, I've only known you for what, five years now? How in the name of Quidditch would I possible know when something's wrong with you?" Remus asked, frustrated. 

"Well that's what I'm asking you," she replied airily. Remus stood up. 

"Do you want to know how I know? You look as tired as I feel after a full moon, like you haven't slept in a month. I know you'd never give up sleep willingly, it's one of your favorite things to do along with playing Quidditch and drawing. And, your nose is all scrunched up and that only happens when something's wrong!" Ashley stared at him in disbelief. 

"My nose-what-never mind, I won't ask. And I don't know what's going on so you can stop yelling!." 

"Its just-I'm worried about you, Ash, I didn't mean to yell," he said, his eyes begging her for forgiveness. 

"I know," she said softly. 

"And I want you to know that you can tell me anything. You know I'm always here when you need me, right?" he asked. She nodded, a tiny smile on her lips, and he hugged her. For that one moment, she felt completely safe, as if nothing bad could ever happen to her while she was in his arms, that she was safe from the horrors of her dreams. Unfortunately, the feeling left her as soon as they withdrew. 

"Good-night," he said, heading back up to his dormitory. 

"Thanks, Remus," she whispered. 

***

The next day was the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. Excitement filled the air and spirits were higher than they had been since school started. The whole school and all of the staff were going to watch the match, and every time Lily thought of that, her stomach turned over and made her want to throw up. 

Lily didn't usually get nervous. She had never cared enough to have to, but she had to now. She wanted to do well, to prove she could play Quidditch to those who still didn't believe her. She didn't want to disappoint her friends, especially since they seemed to have quite a lot of faith in her new found beating abilities. Most of all, she wanted to do well for West and Evan. She had written them a letter, updating them on life at Hogwarts, and they had been so proud when she had told them she was the beater. She wouldn't let them down. Lily just swirled her breakfast around in her plate, not wanting to eat at the risk of throwing it all up. **_Stop being so nervous, you'll be fine. Pretend it's a practice with just you and the team_**._ Well that's stupid advice, since when are there three hundred people watching at practices_?**_ Don't think about that, just think of the bludgers as Jackass' balls that you're beating_**!_ EW that SO did not sound right! Just do us all a favor and shut up, will you_? 

"Don't worry Lils," said James as they walked to the locker rooms. "You'll do great, I know you will." Lily bit her lip. 

"But what if I don't do great? What if I screw up? Honestly, I'm starting to think that this Quidditch stuff isn't for me," she said quickly. 

"Lils, look at me," he said, and he locked his warm, cheery, chocolate brown eyes onto her emerald green ones. "I know that you're going to be great. And if you're not great, thenYOU'RE OFF THE TEAM!" Lily's mouth formed a perfect 'o', and then became angry, so James quickly stopped laughing. "I was joking! Just joking!" 

After James gave the pep, the team headed out onto the field, and was almost knocked off their feet by the crowd's tumultuous roar. Lily felt her legs turn into jelly, and her stomach began to do a series of gymnastics that she wagered even an Olympic gold medallist couldn't perform. **_Hoo boy. What have you gotten yourself into? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. You've never even played in your life_**! _Gee, thanks, way to be supportive. Ok, ok, ok, I can do this, yea, I can, think of Tigger_ As she tried to calm herself, she could hear Remus beginning the commentary. 

"Entering from the right we have our Hufflepuff House Team, who haven't won a single match inhow long? Captain and Keeper Diggory; Chasers Gill, Pawe, and Wehng; Beaters Brown and Jolt; and Seeker Hammond! But let's remember our manners, people, let's give them an applause for having the courage to try!" The Hufflepuffs scowled but cheered happily with the rest, and McGonagall tried to snatch the magical megaphone out of his hands, but Remus danced just out of her reach. 

"LUPIN! I thought you promised to be impartial this time!" she screeched. He looked innocent and mischievous at the same time. 

"But I am! Just in Gryffindor's favor!" 

"Lupin-"

"And entering from the left, we have our superb, excellent, astounding Gryffindor House Team, the best team the school has seen in years! At the head is Captain, Chaser, and Bachelor-oh wait, screw that, he and Trewyn got back together again-Captain and Chaser Potter! After him is Keeper Gratzki, who watches her hoops like a hawkshit that sounded wrong, sorry Ariaanyway, behind her are the lovely and talented Chasers Li and Green; Beaters Black and Evans who are sure to knock your socks off; aaand, last but definitely not leastSeeker McKinnon! Ladies and Gentlemen, the Gryffindor House Team!" The stands shook with thunderous applause as Lily and the team stepped onto the field. She couldn't help but feel excited, the atmosphere was infectious. 

Madame Hooch made Amos and James shake hands. Lily almost thought Aria would run up to Amos and give him a good luck snog, but she knew better than that. In a game of Quidditch, Aria wouldn't have shown any sympathy to her own mother. Instead of snogging him, her face was set and unreadable, only her eyes gave her away, sparkling with excitement. 

"Madame Hooch throws the Quaffle into the airand the game is on! We start out with Hufflepuff in possession, Gill passes to Wehng, Wehng to Gill, Gill shoots-but its intercepted by Potter! Potter passes to Li, passes to Green. Green shootsAND SHE SCORES! 10-0 GRYFFINDOR! I guess Diggory isn't all there at the moment!" The stands shook with cheering fans, and Lily whacked a bludger as far as she could in happiness. Amos Diggory looked disgusted with himself. 

"Hufflepuff now has the Quaffle. Pawe passes to Wehng, Wehng to Pawe, Pawe to Wehngif Diggory's the one thinking up these strategies, he needs to go back to first year Flying. Anyway, back to the-erm-fascinating chaser action. Why lookie there, Pawe passed to Gill! It's got to be a revolution! Gill shootsand Gratzki blocks it! Yes! It seems like McKinnon and Hammond haven't seen any action yet. Ha, McKinnon and Hammondgod I'm good!" Ashley flipped Remus off, who smiled sweetly back at her. "So Green passes to Potter, and SH-I mean SCHNEIZER it's intercepted by Wehng! Wehng passes to-WHAT THE HE-I MEAN HECK JUST HAPPENED?" Jeremy Jolt, one of the Hufflepuff beaters had sent a bludger at Aria. She noticed it just before it was about to collide with her arm, and then, an extraordinary thing happened. Aria disappeared in a cloud of bluish-white light, and the bludger went straight through the area in which she had just been. A second later, she reappeared. There was total and complete silence throughout the stadium. All eyes were glued onto Aria, who hadn't the faintest idea why, until Ashley flew up to her and told her what had just happened. At first she laughed at her friend, thinking that it was some sort of joke. Then, when she realized Ashley was serious, she stopped laughing and stared at her in shock. All of a sudden, the crowd began to whisper excitedly amongst themselves. It was as if a huge gust of wind was blowing through the arena. Then, Professor Dumbledore descended to the field and talked with Madam Hooch for a minute, and then made his way back to his box. 

"Resume play!" she screeched. "And the Headmaster would like to see you after the game, Gratzki." The two teams just floated in the air, unsure of what to do. "DID YOU HEAR ME? RESUME PLAY!" The game was resumed. 

"Yes. Well. Uh, where are we?" Remus stuttered through his commentary, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to refer back to what had just occurred with Aria, and was trying to distract attention from her. 

"Well what do you know, Hufflepuff still has the Quaffle. So Gill starts out-" Ashley stopped listening to the commentary. She wanted the game to end, one because she wanted to talk to Aria and find out what in the name of all things good and holy had just happened, and two because she knew that if the Snitch wasn't found soon, they would be playing into the night. Bludgers were harder to spot at night. She weaved her way across the field lazily. _Here, Snitchey Snitchey Snitchey, here Snitchums. God, this is taking FOREVER! Where is that stupid-whoa what was that_?~ Her keen eyes had spotted a flash of gold in the right corner of the pitch. She squinted to get a better look. It was the Golden Snitch. She dove as fast as her broom could dive towards the flashes of gold. This was what she loved, the rush of the game, the excitement, the pressure. Ashley quickly looked behind her. Hammond had seen her, and was following her. ~_Fine. Let him come. All the more fun for me_!~ Hammond kept coming, but at an alarmingly fast rate. ~_Uh oh. Ok, whatever, I can still make it. Come on, Broomsie, you can do it old girl_!~ Ashley and the Hufflepuff Seeker were now neck to neck. Neither one would give up until they had the Snitch, and both were convinced that they would catch it. But, with only one Snitch, which Seeker would? 

Lily was very confused, to say the least, and she had been ever since Aria had pulled her disappearing act. _They didn't tell me that Remus is a werewolf, so maybe they're keeping something about Aria from me_. But, one look at Sirius overruled that thought. He looked as if a feather could have knocked him over. She giggled softly, a confused Sirius was rather hilarious. He was wide-eyed with astonishment, and he kept opening and closing his mouth, like a goldfish. Sirius looked like a small child that had just seen Mickey Mouse get drunk. _Mickey Mouse drunk? Wowzers I scare myself sometimes-hey, what's Ash doing_? Lily spotted Ashley and Hammond diving simultaneously for something that looked like a flash of gold. _Holy shit, that's the Snitch_! She sped off in search of a bludger. Soon, one found her instead, and she hit it in the direction of Hammond. Luckily, she had good aim, and the bludger was heading straight for him. Hammond looked back just in time to see it, and swerved out of the way. Seconds later, Ashley caught the Snitch. 

"-aw shoot, Gill scored, 10-10. Whoa, what the-LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! McKinnon has caught the Snitch! GRYFFINDOR WINS, 160-10!" The crowd roared in happiness, and Ashley was soon lost as all of the Gryffindor Team tried to hug her at the same time. 

"WAY TO GO ASH!"

"YEA MCKINNON!"

"WHOOHOO!" 

"YOU WERE FRICKIN' BLOODY BRILLIANT!" 

"Yea, I know I was," Ashley said, smiling. The Gryffindors headed back to the common room to celebrate their victory. An apprehensive Aria followed Professor Dumbledore to his office, and James couldn't help but wonder where Peter had gone.

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Lupus Argenteus Noctus: Don't worry, Lily demands it in this chapter! 

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Xela: J . What more can I say? Thank you! 

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chickensoup3: I'll try not to!

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Hermione the Best: Heeheehee thanks! Don't worry, if no more inspiration hits, someone will kick his ass. 

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SiriDragon: Wow, I'm honored that you think my work will be good before you read it! Thank you! 

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Lady Meriadoc: Thank you!

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lady fuchsia: I luv Sirius too, he's really just a big softie at heart. Thanks, I've always thought it would be cool if I could see what characters were thinking, so there you go!

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mistocean: Gee, thanks! Lily rocks! 

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Atlantis Forester: Aria might mean air in Italian, but it is also an opera song that dwells on one thought throughout the whole song. Thanks for telling me though! 

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Caz: Here you go!

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Clavel: Remus is my favorite Marauder! 

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Princess pixie ice: Thank you! 

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Snufalufagus: Thanks! 

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WolfMoon: WhoopsiesI forgot to put that in there. Well, we'll just pretend that they lasted an hour and then they forgot about it :-P

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Leech: Thank you very much! 

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lil lupin: LOL thank you! In reply to your question: if practice makes perfect and nobody is perfect, then why practice? Well, if you practice, you come closer to perfection! 

**unknown**: Thank you ever so much for the lovely flame, it kept my nosie and my cute lil' fingers warm while I wrote this chapter! 

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Katlynn: I'll try my hardest! 


	11. Revealed

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A/N: Wowzers this is a loooong chapter, so prepare yourselves! All right, first matter of business is that when Aria is in Dumbledore's office, all of the Italics are her thoughts. When Peter has his moment in the limelight (sorry folks, I had to give it to him), the italics are his thoughts. In the last part, which is back at Hogwarts, James' thoughts are between * *s and Lily's thoughts are normal italics. Also, in that same part, when there are Italics between s, it is James' flashback. I'm sorry I made it so confusing, but it had to be this way. Okeydokey then, enjoy! 

DISCLAIMER: I own Aria, the Alcantvi, Lucan, and Rowena (more commonly referred to as Wren). 

Chapter 11: Revealed

Aria sat numbly in Professor Dumbledore's office. Her day could not possibly get any weirder, even by magical standards. First, she had disappeared in the middle of a Quidditch game. Disappeared. Just like that. Second, when she had reached Dumbledore's office, he had left for a moment, and while he was gone his pet phoenix had spontaneously combusted. While Aria was well aware that this was a natural process for a phoenix to undergo, she had never really witnessed a one bursting into flames, and she had almost wondered if she had been responsible for that happening as well. Now, her Headmaster was asking her if she would care for a more cushioned chair instead of what she was sitting on, which happened to be quite hard. Stammering, she had said no thank you. He turned to Aria and smiled sadly at her. She looked as if she were about to receive a life sentence to Azkaban. 

"Miss Gratzki, please relax, you are making _me_ nervous. I assure you that you are not in any trouble of any sort. I apologize for what I am about to tell you. I also apologize that your mother and father could not be here for this, but it seemed that they had an urgent meeting at the Italian Ministry. " 

"Oh. Um, oh," was all Aria could mutter. 

When Dumbledore did not say anything, she could not stand it anymore. 

"Professor, what did I do out there? Why'd I disappear? I know I didn't Apparate because I don't know how, and I swear that neither of my parents ever secretly taught me, or anything like that, so wha-" 

Dumbledore chuckled at her distress. Aria was temporarily silenced, but not for long. 

"What-" 

"My dear, please calm down before you become more distressed than you already are. Indeed, you did not Apparate. You Shimmered. Miss Gratzki, you are Alcantvi." Aria gaped at him, open-mouthed. 

"I'm-I'm what?" she whispered. 

"You are Alcantvi, a descendent of a race of ancient magic. Alcantvi are the protectors of Good. Before the Apparating spell was created, Alcantvi were the only witches and wizards able to transport themselves from one place to another. They are able to heal the wounded, contact spirits, use Song Spells, and some are even able to See, though not all Seers are Alcantvi. They were the very first witches and wizards in the world, therefor they have powerful magic." 

Aria could not believe what she was hearing. Apparently, she was a descendent of a race of powerful witches and wizards who could do things that no normal wizard could do. Needless to say, she was finding this all very difficult to believe. How was she expected to possess such powers when she could barely walk without tripping over her own feet at least twice a day? 

"Professor-Sir-this-this can't be right, I mean, I-I can't possibly be an Alcantvus-" 

Dumbledore smiled sympathetically and kindly at the same time. 

"I am sure that this must come as a great shock for you, but I assure you that you are an Alcantvus. You are able to Shimmer, as you proved a few hours ago during the Quidditch game, which, if I must say, was most enjoyable, well done to Gryffindor! Also, it is not unknown to the residents of Gryffindor House that you quite enjoy singing-" Aria blushed. "-and that you have quite a knack for it. This is enough proof to verify that you are, indeed, Alcantvi." 

"But-but Professor, what do I do? I mean, I can barely deal with my life as it is right now, and now I find out that I'm an Alcantvus? Jeez, Sir, no offense, but this isn't the greatest time to drop a bludger on me!" Aria exclaimed, frustrated. Dumbledore gave her a penetrating look. 

"Miss Gratzki, while you are here, you are never alone. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." 

__

Huh, yea, easy for you to say, you don't Glimmer, or whatever it was I did! And how did he know I felt alone? 

"But you are right in thinking that this will be a bit difficult to adjust to, although, I have complete faith in you to be able to do so. First of all, you must be on your guard when you are outside of the walls of this school. Alcantvi are rare. As you might have heard, there is a great Dark Wizard who is gaining power and support at an alarming rate. His name is Lord Voldemort. His desire is to be the most powerful wizard of all time, and does not look kindly upon other powers. He is not Alcantvi." 

Dumbledore did not elaborate, and he did not need to. Aria understood perfectly. She was in danger because she had powers that Voldemort wanted. _No! No, this isn't happening! This CAN'T be happening! Not to me! No_! She wanted to scream, or cry, or laugh. This couldn't be real, it was too unbelievable. What would happen to her? Would she be killed? Kidnapped? Aria was bursting to ask Dumbledore these haunting questions, but she knew what the answers would be. Instead, she took a deep breath and nodded. 

"I understand, sir." 

Dumbledore nodded slightly. She was showing wisdom and composure beyond her years, more than a fifteen-year old witch should have ever had to show. Aria should have been able to be a carefree, happy child for the precious years that remained of her childhood. Instead, she was being made to accept powers and responsibilities that some witches and wizards of his own age would not have been capable of handling. 

"There is one other Alcantvus in England. Her name is Arabella Figg, and if you remain at Hogwarts for the summer, she will be able to teach you the arts-"

"WHAT?" Aria yelled. "Whoa, ok, Professor, I can handle the fact that I have powers that no one else has, and the fact that a Dark Wizard is trying to either kill me or recruit me, but you want me to stay at Hogwarts over the summer? Sir, I love it here and all, but I-I-" 

Aria's eyes filled with tears, and quickly became very interested with the floor. _Stay at Hogwarts over the summer? Has he ever BEEN to Venice? I belong there! I miss the gondolas, the food, the simplicity, the beauty! I need to be there_

"I understand, Miss Gratzki. I should not have asked you to do this, I am very sorry. Of course you needn't spend your summer holidays here," Dumbledore sighed. Aria bit her lip. _Of course I needn't! It's one thing to ask someone to understand that they could be killed or kidnapped at any moment, but it's ENTIRELY different to ask them to give up their home! Stillhe IS just trying to make sure I'm prepared. Right? Oh FINE! God, this Voldemort had BETTER be a major threat, or else I'll never forgive Dumbledore for this_

"Professor, I'm sorry I was rude before. I-I understand that I must be able to use the arts of the Alcantvi. If-if you think that I should stay at Hogwarts for the summer, I-I will," said Aria shakily. "I-I was being selfish before; I shouldn't have just been thinking about myself. If I am an Alcantvus, and Alcantvi are protectors of Good, then I'm responsible for all Good, not just me. I will stay here for the summer." Dumbledore stood up and hugged her. 

"Miss Gratzki, words can not express my gratitude towards your decision. Once again, I am deeply sorry that you were thrust into this. I know that this will be a difficult time for you, and if I can help you in any way, please do not hesitate to ask, but I must ask you to do one thing."

"Yes?"

"Don't tell a soul. Don't owl your parents either, I have sent a security owl with the message to them." 

Aria just nodded and smiled weakly. Inside, she felthollow. As if she had just lost a part of herself. After all, she realized she had been living as what she had thought had been her for fifteen years. In half an hour, she had become a strangera freak. And worst of all, she could not talk to anyone about it. Of course, Dumbledore was there, but what she needed were her friends. But she could not tell them; she had given Dumbledore her word. She made her way to her dormitory as if in a trance, laid down on her bed and cried. 

***

Peter Pettigrew squealed as he landed the broom that he had stolen from the school's broom shed in front of an ominous, black castle at the edge of a steep cliff. He gagged as the stifling scent of evil and death filled his nostrils, but pressed on, knowing that the information he could supply would please his master. Suddenly, he heard the swish of another broom landing smoothly onto the grass a few feet below him, and Peter quickened his pace. He had to be the one to inform his master about the latest happenings. He needed to be the one. 

Peter reached the wide, tall, black door with an engraving of a horrendous skull with a snake for its tongue. Shuddering, he pressed his forearm against it, and the door opened to reveal a menacing wizard standing in an empty corridor. He had untidy black hair, and cold, unnerving blue eyes. 

"Pettigrew," he said in a low, threatening tone. "The master did not send for you. Why are you here?" 

Peter felt his legs turn into jelly and he felt queasy. 

"I-I-I have s-some information th-that I b-b-believe will be o-of use," he squeaked. Why was his voice so high? 

The wizard stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. 

"You will wait here. I will tell the master you have arrived." 

Peter nodded. As soon as the wizard had left, he sighed with relief. His heart, which had been beating rapidly, slowly began to beat normally once again. But, all too soon for his comfort, the wizard was back. 

"Master will see you now. He asked me to remind you that you had better have something of vast importance, or he will be terribly displeased." Peter nodded hard, and the wizard's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Enter." 

Peter walked shakily down the long, dark corridor, and stopped when he reached a simple black door with a silver handle. He considered turning back. He knew that there was another exit through an underground tunnel. If he went through it, he could fly back to Hogwarts. _Sure. Go back to Hogwarts, where my friends ignore ME and worship the ground those stupid girls walk on. James and Sirius and Remus think that they're gods, they're so full of themselves they wouldn't notice if I dropped dead! Those damn whores are messing with their minds! Go back to Hogwarts, where I'm poor little Peter Pettigrew who can barely handle a levitating charm! Go back to Hogwarts where I am nothing, lower than dirt, lower than the Slytherins. Hogwarts, where I have nothing. No friends, no talent, no status_. He shook his head. _Here I am something. I am a Death Eater. I have a value. I am a source of important information. I am on the winning team. I am_! Peter took a deep breath and turned the handle of the door. He stepped inside, and the door slammed itself shut behind him. Before he could speak, the wizard by the entrance entered the room and stood by the door. Peter gulped. 

"Pettigrew," said a shrill, cruel, evil voice. 

Peter shuddered and stared at the floor. He could not stand to look into the wizard's red, snake-like eyes. He could not bear to look at his master, Lord Voldemort. 

"I have been told that you bring forth information of utmost value." 

"I-I bring what?" he asked, confused. 

"You have information for me, do you not?" the Dark Lord exclaimed. 

"Oh! Oh y-y-yes, indeed I d-do, My Lord," Peter muttered. 

There was an unbearable silence. 

"Well? What is it then?" Voldemort screamed. Peter winced at the anger in his voice. 

"I-I was at the Quidditch game today, My Lord. A bludger w-w-was about to hit t-th-the Keeper, b-b-b-but she just d-di-d-disa-disappeared, My Lord! J-j-just like that! A-an-and then, a m-m-m-moment later, sh-she was b-back!" 

Lord Voldemort stood in front of Peter, who began to shake. He could feel the power, the evil radiating off of the other wizard. 

"You say that this girl disappeared, my boy?" he asked in a silky facade of kindness. 

"Y-yes, My Lord," said Peter, relaxing. 

He looked up into the Dark Wizard's face, and then quickly regretted doing so, but could not look away. It would displease his master if he did. 

"She disappeared in a cloud of blueish-white lights, and then she was back!" He saw a flicker of surprise in his master's eyes. 

"Do you know the name of this girl?" asked Voldemort, still behind a mask of kindness. 

"Y-yes My Lord! Her name is Arianna Gratzki! She's a Gryffindor; she's in the same year as I am!" Peter exclaimed, eager to be rewarded if he had provided important information. Voldemort smiled; the same smile a lion wore when he had its prey cornered. 

"Very good, Pettigrew. For once, you have proved to be useful. I would like you to become friends with this girl. Gain her trust. Understand?" 

"Yes, My Lord. But I am already friends with her," said Peter excitedly. 

"Astounding. You've actually done something right twice in a day. This is truly remarkable. These, ah, _friends_ of yours, who else are they?" the Dark Lord inquired. 

"Well, I guess James Potter-"

"James Potter?" Voldemort screamed. The eyes of the wizard in the corner filled with hatred, and Peter cowered. 

"Y-y-y-yes, My Lord, James Potter," said Peter, shaking once more. 

"I see," said Voldemort, more to the other wizard than to Peter. "We will see about this." 

"My Lord, if I may say something-" the other Death Eater began. 

"Crucio!" 

Voldemort flicked his wand in the direction of his other servant, who still stood and did not scream, but twitched freakishly. 

"I said that we would see about it." 

He turned back to Peter, whose eyes were wide with horror. 

"Who are your other friends, Pettigrew!" 

Peter gulped, and felt as if he were about to vomit. 

"Answer me, or you will receive the same punishment as him." 

'Him' was slowly beginning to break, and let out occasional ear-splitting yelps of pain. 

"S-S-Sirius Black, R-R-R-Remus Lupin, L-Lily E-Evans, a-a-and Ashling M-M-McKinnon!" Peter stammered. 

Voldemort smiled cruelly, obviously pleased. The Death Eater on the floor finally gave in and screamed. The curse was lifted, yet he still remained twitching on the floor. 

"I must say that your information was indeed valuable," said Voldemort grudgingly. "Good work, Pettigrew. I wish you were always this useful. Make sure to stay on friendly terms with this girl. I have a feeling she will become highly useful for us." 

He turned to his servant on the floor. 

"Unfortunately, this is not a good omen for your son. You should have had him choose his companions more wisely. The poor boy is running around with an Alcantvus and werewolves and an Auror's daughter! Tsk, tsk, not a very good omen at all." 

The Death Eater did not say anything, for he had not yet regained control of his muscles. Voldemort turned back to Peter. 

"You may leave now." 

Peter ran as fast as his legs could carry him out of the castle. He flew back to Hogwarts, trying desperately to rid himself of the guilt, the smell of evil, the horrors that still clung to him. 

***

As the weeks passed, the talk of what had happened during the last Quidditch match had died down. James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Ashley gave up on asking Aria what Dumbledore had said to her after the match. Slowly, Aria fell out of the shock of discovering she was Alcantvi, and began to fall back into the pattern of everyday life at Hogwarts. 

November was coming to an end, and the school was feverish with excitement for Christmas. However, everyone was disappointed on the last Friday of the month during Transfiguration when Professor McGonagall announced that the annual Christmas Ball would not take place that year, but there would be a St. Valentine's Day Muggle Formal in February. Instead of a ball, there would be a Hogsmeade visit scheduled for that Saturday, the first weekend of December. 

"I wonder why they cancelled the ball this year," said Ashley as the group left the classroom. 

"Who cares? Now we can go to Hogsmeade this weekend!" Lily exclaimed. 

"Um, Lils, we've been able to go to Hogsmeade every weekend," said Remus smiling. 

Lily became confused. 

"Ever wondered why we've never run out of stuff for pranks, or candy, or Butterbeer?" asked Sirius, also smiling. 

It finally dawned upon Lily. 

"You mean you know a way to sneak into Hogsmeade?" she whispered. 

"Yup," said James. 

Lily whacked him on the head. 

"And you never told me until NOW?" she screeched. 

"Uh oh," said Aria, her lips twitching in amusement. "You better run James, Lily's on the warpath." 

"No shit, Sherlock," said James, and he ran for dear life. 

When James reached the safety of his dormitory, he could still hear Lily screaming death threats. He smiled, despite himself. She looked so cute when she was angry. *_Come on, get a grip on yourself! You can't have her! Just accept it! It won't be good for either of you_!* James shook his head. He knew he could never have Lilybut that didn't keep him from wanting her. He didn't know what it was about her that made him like her. Her smile? Her personality? Her brains? Maybe it was the fact that she didn't fawn over him and cling onto his every word. *_Well it doesn't matter what it is about her! You can't have her OR want her! HE'LL find out! It'll be what happened to Wren all over again_!* James sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. Wren. Her full name had been Rowena, but he had always called her Wren. His baby sister. She was dead now; dead because of him. He reached under his pillow, and pulled out a picture of his fourteen year old self, laughing, with his arm around a laughing eleven year old girl with amazing sapphire eyes and black hair that fell into soft curls. 

"James?" He looked up, startled, to find Lily in the room. "You forgot your book down there, I came up to give it back to you." 

She set it on a table and sat down next to him. Lily breathed in, and sighed inwardly at the clean, fresh smell of him. 

"Who's that?" 

"Rowena. Wren. My sister," said James, concentrating on keeping his voice from cracking. 

Lily studied the picture for a moment. 

"Is she at Hogwarts now?" 

"No."

"Where is she? She looks like she's old enough to study magic." James tore his eyes from the picture and smiled sadly at her. 

"She's dead." Lily was stunned. 

"Dead?" she whispered. "How-what-why-" 

"It's a long story," he said, getting up. "You'll miss dinner." 

"So will you."

"I'm not hungry."

"Neither am I." James sighed. "I-I'm sorry, James, you don't have to tell me if you don't want-" 

"Lily, wait," said James. "I can tell you what happened to her." Lily sat back down. 

"First of all, my father is a Death Eater," said James. 

Lily did a double take. 

"What?" she exclaimed. _How can HIS dad be a Death Eater? James is likethe opposite of a Death Eater_! 

"Yea," was all James could say. "My dad's a Death Eater. Actually, he's more than that; he's Voldemort's most trusted Death Eater. He's his right-hand man. And they want me to be a Death Eater too. My dad's been trying to train me ever since I found out about what he did, when I was seven years old. I saw him killing a wizard in one of the rooms of our house. The wizard kept pleading with him and pleading with him to spare him because he was the only person who could support his family, but Lucan-that's my father-just killed him. And then he laughed. God, I can still hear it now

"Please Mista Potter suhr! Ah promise ta help ya an' yah masta! Jus don' kill meh! Ah gots a wife an' four litta uns! Please!" 

Lucan paid no attention to the man's pleas. 

"How dare you try to defy the Dark Lord! He'll be the greatest wizard of all time someday soon! He and I won't tolerate bugs in his path!"

"Please suhr! Ah promise Ah'll stay out of yo' way fo'eveh mo' suhr!" the man cried. 

"Do you know what we do to bugs in our path?" asked Lucan in an icy whisper. 

The man shook his head, tears streaming down his face, which held a terrified expression. 

"We squish them. Avada Kedavra!" 

There was a flash of green light, and the man slumped to the floor, dead. James had seen all of this in a horrified trance. Lucan laughed and turned around. He stopped laughing when he saw James cowering against the wall. His eyes were wide with surprise and fury. 

"Dad-"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?" roared Lucan in fury"

James stopped talking for a moment, trying to regain his composure. He heard the man's please in his head constantly, over and over again. He had never forgotten the day when he had seen his father's true colors. Lily bit her lip and felt tears forming in her eyes, and her heart breaking for him. 

"My mom always tried to protect us from him, and so did my Uncle Matt who lived with us too. But Lucan had his ways. He'd slip sleeping potions into their drinks, and while they were sleeping he'd try to teach me the dark arts. When I told him that if he thought I would ever help him kill people, he'd put the Imperious or the Cruciatus Curse on me. He even tried to whip me once; I still have scars from it. Finally, one day, my mum moved us in with my uncle, but she couldn't come with us. She told Wren and I to never come back; to stay away forever. That kept him away for a little while, but he still came back. Lucan was determined to make me a Death Eater. He tried to train Wren once, but I didn't let him. He had her locked in a closet for two days, and wouldn't let her out until she agreed to train. He didn't even feed her. God, I could've killed him when I found her in there. I would've, but Wren stopped me." 

James paused once again, and it took all of Lily's willpower to keep her from crying. 

"One day last summer, he Apparated to Uncle Matt's house and Apparated out with me to this clearing in the middle of the woods. He told me that I would join him and become a Death Eater, and I told him that he was insane. He put the Cruciatus Curse on me for a while, and then he Apparated away with the curse still on me. When he had reappeared, he had Wren with him, and he had her at bay with a dagger. He knew she was my weakness; he knew I'd do anything for her. Lucan lifted the curse, and he told me that either I would become a Death Eater or Wren would die. He was willing to kill his own daughter in order to recruit someone!" 

James was shaking in anger, and Lily took a few seconds to grasp the helplessness of the matter, the shock of having such an inhumane person as a father. 

"Then?"

"What could I do, Lils? I was about to tell him that I'd become a Death Eater, when Wren started screaming and screaming that if I said yes to save her she'd hate me forever. I told her I could live with that as long as she was alive. She wrenched her way out of his grip and grabbed the dagger, turning on him, and said that my answer was no, that I'd never become a Death Eater. Lucan took this for my answer, and he used a Summoning Charm to get the dagger back. I tried to tell him that I'd join him, but he kept saying that it was too late, and h-he stabbed her and Apparated away." 

James put his head in his hands again. He had held Wren in his arms, crying and pleading with her to hang on. He had promised that she'd survive, and he had tried to carry her to the nearest building, but it had widened the wound

_"WREN! WREN! Oh my God, Wren! Please, hold on, hold on, don't worry, I swear that you'll be all right!" _

He cradled her in his arms, trying to shield her from the rain that had begun to pour upon them. 

"James? James where are you? I can't see anymore!" she had exclaimed, terrified. He took her hand and pressed it against his cheek.

"I'm right here, don't worry, I won't leave you." 

She took great, ragged gulps of air, and her blood was flowing profusely, soaking his shirt. 

"Wren, that was so stupid! Why did you do that? I told you that I'd take care of it!" Tears began to stream down his face. 

"James," she said between gasps. "I couldn't stand lose you to him. I knew that you mustn't go to the Dark side. I love you too much." 

"But I need you, Wren! I need you! I would have been fine if you had just let me say yes, and you would've been fine too! But I promise that you'll still be fine, I promise!" 

"I love you, James. You're the best brother anyone could have ever had. I'll always be with you. It-it hurts too much right now, but I'll be fine soon," said Wren, stroking his face softly. 

"No! No, Wren, don't talk like that, everything will be fine. HELP! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME! HELP!" 

"James.I love you." She gasped for one last breath, and then she was gone. 

"No." he whispered. "No! NO! Wren, please! Come back! Please! I need you!"

James looked up at her. 

"I killed her, Lils. I killed my baby sister. I was supposed to take care of her, but instead, I killed her," he whispered. 

"No, you didn't kill her. That was your father that killed her, not you. You did everything you could to protect her, if anything, you saved her in the end," she said. 

"But-"

"James did you stab her?" Lily asked, looking him in the eye. 

"No, but-"

"Then you didn't kill her." James still wasn't convinced, but he nodded anyway. At that moment, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Ashley, and Aria tumbled into the room from dinner, laughing. Sirius and Remus broke into identical evil grins when they saw Lily and James on the bed together, but stopped smiling at once when they saw Wren's picture in James' hand. 

"Oh," said Sirius. 

"You told her?" Remus asked. James nodded. 

"What?" asked Aria. Ashley saw the picture. 

"Wren." 

"Oh." The five that had just entered made themselves comfortable. 

"Ok Tigger," said James, masking his depression with mischievousness. "I spilled out my past to you, now you've got to spill to us." _Hehehe. Nice try, James. Anyone can see that you're still beating yourself up over Wren_. Lily took a deep breath and told them about the Death Eaters that had set her house on fire, how her parents had died because of the fact that the Death Eaters wanted her, for some unknown purpose. She told them about the dirty orphanages, the unfriendly streets, and the loveless foster homes. She told them about Salem, about West, Jackass, and Evan. 

"See, James? I killed my parents," she said, smiling sadly. She quickly became fascinated with the bed sheets. 

"Lils, if I didn't kill Wren, then you didn't kill your parents. You didn't set the house on fire, did you? Exactly." 

Lily shook her head. _I did kill them. They died because of me. I can't forgive myself for that. Just like you'll never forgive yourself for Wren_. 

"Remember that night that Glenn started saying that shit about me?" she asked. James nodded slowly. 

"Oi! What shit?" asked Sirius. 

Lily quickly explained what Glenn had said to her. Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

"HOW DARE HE?" Sirius roared. 

"Sirius, calm down, I'm over it-"

"That BASTARD is gonna pay!" he shouted. 

"He's definitely going to pay," said Remus, his voice filled with anger. 

"I know that I stole stuff. I'm not proud of it. But I never did unless I had to! It was either steal or die, and when you're nine years old, dying isn't something you want to consider!" said Lily softly. 

"Lils, you don't have to explain yourself to us," said Ashley sympathetically. "Its survival of the fittest, and if you don't try, you die. We understand." 

Lily nodded. It was times like these when she couldn't imagine leaving Hogwarts. Her friends loved her, and she loved them too. _Leaving is going to be so hard. It feels like I belong here with them_. Lily brushed those unpleasant thoughts away for a moment, as she joined in the game of Exploding Snap Dodgeball. This moment was all that mattered.

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J.P. Yabao: Thank you! I hope you liked the rest of it as well! 

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Anakah: LoL! No, Lily is not a schizo. The thoughts add more emotion to the story. 

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x-woman: Thank you! 

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Lady Meriadoc: Thank you very much! *Grins insanely* You find out what's up with Aria in this chapter! LoL! 

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SiriDragon: LoL THANK YOU! J I seriously have no idea how this stuff comes to me, it just comes, and then people who don't know me think that I'm high or something! 

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*fireangel*: Thank you so much! I'm glad that you like my little fic! 

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Atlantis Forester: LoL the Astonished Sirius part is one of my favorite parts of the chapter! *blushes* I'm sorry it takes me so long to get these things up, I'm slow, I know. OH now I understand why I got confused about the meaning of Aria. *blushes again* weeeeeeell, lets just pretend it means the song one for this story. 

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chickensoup3: Thank you! 

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lady fuchsia: Teeheehee, thanks! 

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Xela: Thanks for telling me about that one part, I hope you understand what I mean now. Yea, my friends are always telling me I need to get my thoughts out more clearly. *GASP* shoot, is it that obvious that they'll get together? Froogle. Oh wellyou'll just have to wait and see! *cackles evilly* Anyhoozies, thank you! 

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Malkavian Kirie Croiff: Ok, I take Spanish at school, so all I understood out of 'pensé haber dejado mi review antesen fin' was 'I plan to ___ mi review afterat the end'. Anyhoozies, here's the next chapter to take you out of your suspense! 

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Lamina Court: LoL! Thank you! 

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Shree: LoL! Thanks! I'm glad you like Lily! 

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Snufalufagus: LoL, 26I'm getting there! 

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Clavel: Thanks! Here's a loooooong chappie with a lot of stuff! 

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Caz: *Grins evilly* You're about to find out! 

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Louisa Potter: Here you go! 


	12. Losing Grip

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DISCLAIMER: I only own Aria, Ashley, David Bones, Lucan, and Esha Patel (who is a certain Gryffindor twins' mother hint hint hint. 

A/N: I'm SO sorry this took so long, I was having writer's block. First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! Second, * * signal Aria's thoughts, normal Italics are Lily's, ~ ~ are Ashley's, and ^ ^ are Sirius'. 

Chapter 12: Losing Grip

As Christmas neared, the potion reached its final stages of brewing. James, Sirius, Peter, Aria, Lily, and Ashley would never have bothered to follow the meticulous directions, like adding the Thestral tooth on the eighteenth hour of the day of the second quarter moon of the twelfth month if they hadn't been concocting it for Remus. In the last week of brewing, the draft had even required supervision at night, so the seven of them had taken turns spending their entire night on the cold, gritty tiles of the girls' bathroom floor. Needless to say, after each of their night shifts, none were happy campers the next morning. In fact, they were more like tigers that had just had their tails stepped on. All were proud of their success and effort when the potion was completed in time for the full moon. 

The time was nearing eight-thirty when Lily, Ashley, James, Peter, and Sirius had been standing for the past half-hour on the grounds by the Whomping Willow tree with the full moon high above them, waiting for Aria. Each boy held a vial of the potion that would determine which animal each would be and adjust their DNA so that they would be able to transform at any given moment. They had begun the search for a way to ensure a more bearable transformation for Remus in their second year, when they had come across the idea to become Animagi. Then, they had spent third and fourth year on a quest for the potion. Now, the moment had arrived to see whether three years of hard work had paid off or not, and one single person was holding them up. 

"For the love of Quidditch, where is she?" Ashley moaned. "What could she possibly be doing at a time like this?" 

"I bet she's up in the Astronomy Tower with that twit of a boyfriend right now," Peter jeered. "_She's _probably not freezing her ass off, as a matter of fact I bet she's pretty co-" 

Sirius grabbed him before he could finish his sentence. 

"Listen here, Pettigrew, if you even knew what you were talking about you'd know that Aria'd never leave us, or more importantly, Remus in his time of need, for Diggory. Second of all-" 

Sirius tightened his grip on the small boy, who was gasping with fear. 

"You, of all people, have no right to be talking about 'getting comfy' or the likes of that, since you've never even held a girl's hand." 

Peter nodded furiously, gasping for breath. Sirius half-dropped and half-threw him back onto the snow. No one moved. Lily, Ashley, and James glared at Peter, who sulked in the shadows. Suddenly, they heard footsteps heading towards them quickly. The five whirled around to find a very out-of-breath Aria running towards them. 

"There you are! Where were you? It's so cold out here!" Lily exclaimed. 

Aria caught her breath and explained. 

"I'm really sorry. Really, really, really, really, really-"

"Its ok, really it is, we believe you," said James. "But where were you? It must've been something important." 

Aria smiled wryly. 

"Yeees, well, I had to break off my date tonight with Amos. Um. He wasn't too pleased; it took a little longer than I expected." 

Lily and Ashley exchanged looks. Aria was definitely not telling the whole truth. Lily shook her head. _Oh well, we'll dig it out of her later_. They both knew that it wouldn't do any good to press on about the subject. Sirius and James, on the other hand, were not as wise. 

"Sheesh," said James, shaking his head. 

"Can you say 'desperate'? 'Clingy', perhaps?" said Sirius. 

Aria glared at both of them. 

"Well wouldn't you be a tiny bit annoyed if Trewyn or Ebony spent more time with their friends then they did with you?"

"No." 

"Nope. And you barely spend any time with us at all, so he can't complain!" 

Aria rolled her eyes. 

"Fine. I'm sorry that I'm not by your side at every second of the day. And why are you all so damn nosy about what goes on between us anyway?" 

James, Sirius, Ashley, and Lily exchanged surprised glances. _Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa! What was that? Why's she being so defensive_? Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but James hastily stepped in. 

"Ok, we're sorry, Aria. You're right, its your love life, not ours, and you're an awesome friend. But can we please hurry up with the potion? Remus has been in there for an hour already." 

Aria nodded, and swallowed down the lump in her throat. *_Oh my God, I was such a bitch! Its not their fault Amos was yelling so much. I shouldn't have taken it out on them! What's wrong with me_?* 

The six formed a circle underneath the pale, silvery orb of the moon. James drew a knife from his cloak and handed it to Lily, who carefully slit his finger and placed the vial underneath the cut, allowing the blood to fall directly in. Aria did the same for Sirius, and Ashley, glaring, cut Peter. The potions hissed and swirled until each turned a different color. James' became a rich golden brown, Sirius' became as black as the sky above them, and Peter's became a shade darker than the grey it had been originally. 

"Vires ad mutarevires ad mutarevires ad mutare" 

Lily, Aria, and Ashley chanted the spell three times each, and held their breath anxiously as the boys drank from the vials. At first, nothing happened. Just as she was about to ask what had gone wrong, Lily saw her friends each transform with a loud popping noise. All three girls gasped. Before them stood a proud, handsome stag, a large, shaggy, black dog, anda rat. The dog began to run around in circles around them, barking loud enough to raise the dead. It wore an odd, lopsided grin on its face. The stag pranced about and kicked its front legs in the air, and the rat squeaked and ran about. 

"Sirius?" Ashley asked as the dog finally stopped running and stood still, wagging its tail happily, and grinning. He barked loudly in response. "All rightthen where's James?" 

The stag pranced about some more and leaped into the air. 

"Showoff," Lily muttered, smiling. 

He winked at her, and she stuck her tongue out back at him, smiling. _He's such an idiot, but that's why I love him_. **_EVANS!!! WHAT did you just say? Did you just say you loved JAMES? You meant to say like, right? Not love_**! Lily froze and slapped her forehead, which earned her very odd looks from her friends that she didn't notice. _Yea. Yea, of course I mean like. I-I don't love James. I just like him. As a friend though! Nothing more_! Shaking her head, she turned to the rat. "So that leaves Pettigrew as the rat." 

Peter squeaked. He ran into the thrashing mass of branches that was the Whomping Willow tree and pressed a knot on a root that Remus had explained would freeze the branches. James and Sirius followed and scouted the trunk for an opening to the secret tunnel Remus had also mentioned to them. Once found, dog, rat, and stag disappeared into the ground. The three girls stood for a moment, taking in the events that had just occurred, and then trudged into the castle. They sat in the common room together and tried to stay awake until the morning to find out every detail of the night as soon as their friends passed through the portrait hole, but sleep was tempting. In order to stay awake, Lily and Ashley tentatively tried to make Aria spill the details about why she had snapped. Both girls raised and eyebrow at each other, as if asking if the other was ready, and both nodded an answer of yes. Ashley started. 

"So what's going on with you? You've been acting-um-funny ever since the Quidditch match with Hufflepuff." 

Aria shook her head. *_Yea, I've been acting funny. She was just trying to be nice and not tell me straight off that I've been acting like Narcissa. Total bitch to everyone. She doesn't understand; none of them do. But then again, how can they? Ashley's never had a boyfriend that can't stand the fact that she's best friends with the most popular guys at Hogwarts, and Lily's scared off every guy that tried to get close to her. And they're not freaks of nature by wizarding standards,, so how in the name of pasta can I expect them to understand why I've been acting"funny"_?*

"Its nothing, just-you know, its nothing." 

"You really suck at lying," said Lily, and Aria groaned, knowing that her friends would not be satisfied until she gave them the truth, which, of course, she couldn't tell them. 

"I'm serious, it was really nothing," Aria assured. "What do you think that they're doing in there?" Lily and Ashley exchanged a glance, well aware that Aria was trying to lead them off the subject, and also that she did not want to tell them whatever it was that was bothering her.

***

James, Sirius, and Peter found their way down the dark, narrow tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, where Remus spent his transformations, in their Animagi forms. Each was trying to become used to their new bodies and movements, so the procession was rather clumsy and slow. When they finally reached the entrance, Sirius nudged and coaxed the latch this way and that until it came undone, and dog, stag, and rat walked into the room to find a monstrous, snarling creature before them that was their best friend. The werewolf's long, shaggy, grey fur was matted with blood in some small patches, where it had already attacked itself, and its large, yellow eyes were filled with a desire to destroy. 

Remus could not believe his eyes when his three friends walked in as Animagi. He stared and tried to figure out who was who. The wolf in him was getting restless and hungry for the fresh game in front of it. Remus tried to convince it to leave them alone, and continue to tear apart the furniture, but the wolf had total control now, and it was useless to try to dissuade it. It leapt forward at the dog first, and they wrestled for a few moments before the stag thrust it aside with its antlers. The rat ran around in circles, squealing, and the wolf leapt again for the stag, which darted away at the last second. It was confused for a moment, which gave Remus a bit of control. 

The werewolf howled piteously, and James and Sirius knew that Remus was in control for a moment and was apologizing for what he had done and was about to do. Peter squealed in terror again, and ran for a dark corner where he would not be found. James and Sirius nodded, and a second later, Remus was gone and the wolf was back. It snarled and bared its teeth viciously, and the two other boys braced themselves for the long night ahead. 

***

Hours later, the three girls lay asleep, sprawled over the many couches and chairs of the common room. They had tried as hard as they could to wait for the boys and find out every detail of the night's events, but sleep had been too tempting. Lily and Aria slept peacefully; not aware that just a few feet away from them Ashley was having another nightmare

__

A man who looked like an older, exact replica of James (save for his chilling, steely blue eyes) and James himself stood facing each other at the edge of a forest that seemed so familiar, yet so strange. The sun was setting in the background, causing the sky to become an odd yellow and blood red color. The man spoke to James, who laughed bitterly and sarcastically. The man drew his wand, as did James, but it flew out of his hand. James was cursed and beaten by the man, who, when he had finished his business, left his son (she had determined that no two people could possibly look so alike and not be related) lying cut, bruised, and coughing blood upon the dusty dirt

Ashley shot straight up, heart racing like mad, shaking, and drenched in a cold sweat. She clamped her hands over her mouth to keep herself from screaming and waking up all of Gryffindor Tower. ~_I can't take this anymore! This is too much! Why is this happening to ME of all people? Could I be a-a-no! No, that's definitely impossible. Stillwhat if I am_?~ Ashley stood up quickly and retrieved her wand in the dark. If she was one, then James was in danger. She wasn't about to let what had happened to David Bones' parents happen to one of her best friends. Without giving in to another moment of consideration, Ashley found herself running quietly out of the common room in search of Professor Dumbledore's office. The only problem was that she had absolutely no idea where it was. 

Hours later, Ashley found herself back at the portrait of the Fat Lady. Out of breath and exhausted, Ashley was becoming desperate. Something told her that she needed to find Dumbledore very soon, or else her nightmare would come true, and that was something she was determined to not let happen. But how was she supposed to keep James from being tortured if she couldn't find Dumbledore? Defeated, Ashley sank down against the wall. ~_God, it's hopeless! There's got to be hundreds of places Dumbledore's office could be in this stupid castle! Still, I've got to find him, or someone else that can help. Definitely not Glenn though, he'd probably help attack James, the git. Ugh, I wish Remus were here, I bet he'd know where Dumbledore's office is, or what to do_.~ She started at the thought. _~A-a-and of course, so would Sirius, or James, or Lily. But they're not here, they're all with Remus, except for Lily. HEY! That's it! I'll ask Lily_!~ Ashley jumped up and kicked the wall to wake up the snoring portrait. 

"What in the world did you do that for? I was sleeping, if you did not notice! Honestly, you people have absolutely no respect for-"

"Ok, ok I'm sorry already! Please, just let me in, the password is 'Snakes wear ruffled underpants'!" Ashley said in a rush. 

The Fat Lady was clearly still peeved, but the portrait hole swung open anyway. Ashley ran over to where Lily lay fast asleep on the couch and shook her roughly. Her friend looked at her sleepily and murderously at the same time. 

"What?" Lily snapped.

"Please, Lils, you've got to take me to Dumbledore's office. It's an emergency," Ashley begged. 

Lily moaned and tried to snuggle back down into her covers, but Ashley yanked them away, along with her pillows and her Tigger. Lily glared. 

"What makes you think Dumbledore will be awake right now? And why do you need to see him?" 

Ashley paused for a moment. ~_Shit. I didn't think he'd be sleeping. How could I be so stupid? Of course he must be sleeping; it's two in the morning and he's old. Old people go to sleep early. StillI have to try to see him. I've got to tell him_!~ 

"I know he might not be awake-"

"Might? He's old! Old people hit the sack early! Of course he's asleep!" Lily exclaimed. 

"But I have to see him now! It's important! Do you honestly think I'd wake you up from your sleep if it wasn't important?" Lily sighed. 

"Fine, I'll take you there. Come on, we'd better hurry."

The two girls left the common room. A while later, Ashley found herself and Lily riding a golden, moving staircase up to Dumbledore's office. They had spent a long, tedious quarter of an hour trying to guess the right password to make the gargoyle that blocked the staircase move. In the end, Lily had lost her temper and yelled "HOLY SASSAFRASS WILL YOU MOVE YOUR UGLY STONE BUTT BEFORE I KICK IT?" and the gargoyle jumped aside as soon as the word 'sassafras' left Lily's mouth. Now, she stood nervously before the large, wooden door with a knocker the shape of a griffin on it. 

"Well?" asked Lily impatiently. "Knock!" 

"But what if he's sleeping?" asked Ashley, worried. ~_Maybe I should have waited until morning. I mean, the nightmare happened at sunset, so I at least have a whole day before it happens_.~ Lily rolled her eyes. 

"Ashling Idola McKinnon!" she said dangerously. Ashley winced at the sound of her full name. "You have something important to tell Dumbledore, and you are NOT going to back out now! More importantly, you woke me up while I was sleeping! Don't make that action an action in vain!" 

Ashley stared oddly at her friend. 

"Lils, you're scary and weird."

"Yea, I know."

"But thanks for being you because now I'm going to wake up Dumbledore whether he likes it or not." 

She grabbed the knocker and rapped loudly on the door. A few minutes later, the Headmaster appeared in normal wizarding robes and not the pajamas they had been expecting. He beamed down at them, as if he usually had students knocking on his door at three in the morning. 

"Good morning Miss McKinnon, and Miss Evans. What brings you two to my office at such an early time?" 

"I'm sorry to bother you, Professor, but-you see-um-" Ashley struggled to find words, and Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily. 

"Perhaps you would like to explain the matter to me in my office, instead of the threshold?" 

The two girls nodded and stepped inside the magnificent, circular office. 

"Wow," Ashley whispered, without thinking, and she blushed a second later. Dumbledore and Lily smiled. 

"Would either of you care for some hot chocolate? Or perhaps a toffee? Sadly, I do not have a single lemon drop." 

Both girls declined politely. 

"Sir, the reason I'm here is because I-I've been havingdreams. Really weird-no, really awful dreams sir. Every night since the summer I've been having nightmares. Before, nightmares never bothered me, but then again, I never had nightmares like these before." 

Ashley shuddered slightly. The merriment was gone from Dumbledore's eyes, and he became serious. 

"Can you describe these dreams for me please?" 

The brown haired girl bit her lip and closed her eyes as all of the horrible dreams flooded her mind. All of the pain, tears, screams, and cruelty played over and over again like a movie inside of her head. Dumbledore sensed her fear and leaned forward. 

"I know that this may not be easy for you to do, Ashley, but I cannot help you unless you help me by describing briefly just one of the dreams."

Ashley looked into his kind, warm, blue eyes and nodded. She told Dumbledore of her dream the night before David Bones' parents had died, and of how David's parents had suffered under the Cruciatus Curse for hours. She explained how his father had begged and pleaded with Voldemort to spare his wife and take his life instead. She shook as she told how Voldemort had laughed as he killed them, as if it were amusement for him, how David had received word the very next day that his parents had been killed by Voldemort. Dumbledore stood up very quickly. 

"You had this exact dream?" he asked softly, but with an urgent tone in his voice. Ashley nodded, trying to calm herself down and shut the screams of David's dying parents out of her head. He paused for a moment. "Do you know how Mr. Bones' parents were killed?" 

"Yes," she whispered, just enough so that the two people in the room could hear her. "It was published in the Daily Prophet. They died in the way I saw in my nightmare." 

"I am sure that you understand what that means," said Dumbledore. "You are a Seer, Miss McKinnon; the second of this century." 

Ashley felt numb; as if she were floating through time and space where she could not hear or feel anything. There were a few long, eerie minutes of silence until she came back to reality with an unpleasant jolt. 

"Sir!" she cried. "Then that means-oh my God! Sir, James is in danger!" 

Dumbledore and Lily both turned to her quickly.

"How do you mean? More than usual?" asked Dumbledore quickly. 

Ashley explained her latest dream about James and his father at the edge of a forest at sunset. Dumbledore resumed his pacing around the room. 

"We must bring Mr. Potter to my office at once and explain to him that he is not to leave the castle grounds alone until the snow falls, and to stay away from the Forbidden Forest." 

Both girls felt their heartbeats quicken. James was already off of the grounds. The only way to come back to the castle would be to walk past the Forbidden Forest. And, if Dumbledore tried to bring him to his office at that very moment, he would know that James was gone, along with Sirius and Peter. 

"NO!" both girls exclaimed a tad louder than they had meant to. Dumbledore gave them a piercing gaze. Lily spoke up first. 

"Um, Professor, wouldn't it be a whole lot easier if you waited until he wakes up to tell him that? I mean, its not like he's going to go anywhere between now and then, so can't we just wait a few more hours? I don't know about you, sir, but most people aren't very, um, pleasant when they're rudely awakened from their sleep at an ungodly hour." 

Ashley watched in awe as her friend smoothly lied their way to safety. Dumbledore looked at them for a few more moments. He knew that the two girls were hiding something from him, and that they were not keen on telling him what it was. He sighed and nodded. 

"If you two ladies will make certain that Mr. Potter sees me as soon as he wakes from his sleep, I will agree to wait until the morning." 

"We promise," said Ashley. "But sir, I-I was just wondering, can't I take a potion for a dreamless sleep or something like that?" Dumbledore smiled sadly. 

"I am afraid that a such potion would do you no good, Miss McKinnon. Predictions and Visions cannot be stopped. But, if you accept them and let them come, they will stop robbing you of your sleep, and they will not come as frequently. You must let them speak to you, not suppress their voices. Lives, countless lives will be saved if you allow them to show you the way." 

"So you mean that if I don't dread them, I won't wake up every single night?" asked Ashley. 

Dumbledore nodded. 

"One more thing, Miss McKinnon. You, of course, know of Voldemort?" Ashley nodded. "He is eager to have more Seers working for him, to put it bluntly. Do you understand?" ~_SHITE! Voldemort will want to recruit me? Never! Never ever ever! There's no way in HELL that I'd help him_!~ 

"Yes."

"Therefor, you must not tell anyone that you are a Seer until it is safe. The Dark Lord has his supporters everywhere-I suspect that there are even Death Eaters inside our very walls. If word leaked out that there is another Seer" 

Dumbledore trailed off as he saw the young girl's face change from shock, to anger, to defiance, and to comprehension. He knew that she was well aware of what he meant, and well aware of the danger she was in. Another childhood forced into adulthood, he thought sadly. 

"Yes sir," she said, her voice quivering just slightly. 

Dumbledore gave her a look of heartfelt sympathy for a moment, and then turned to Lily. 

"Miss Evans, you are the only person besides myself that knows about this. You must not speak a word of this to anyone else, either."

"I promise." 

"It is entirely your choice, though, if you wish to tell Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, but I beg of you to only divulge this to people that you would trust with your life," said Dumbledore. 

The old, merry twinkle was back in his eyes, but the graveness was still there. Ashley breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. 

"Thank-you, sir," she said, and both girls were about to leave when Dumbledore spoke again. 

"By the way, Miss Evans, love makes one stronger, not weaker." 

Lily froze in her tracks and looked at the ancient man with the amused smile on his face. **_Oh. My. GOD! What was THAT? Insane. This whole school is insane_**._ Still, it's pretty cool_. **_You call THAT cool? That was the most random thing I've ever heard anyone say_**! _Maybe he was talking about someone in particular_.** _Or MAYBE he's insane, and if you ask me, it's rubbing off on you_**! Ashley looked as if Christmas had come early, so Lily nodded and quickly hurried out of the room, still dazed. 

They arrived at their common room to find James, Sirius, and Peter heading up the stairs, and Aria still asleep on the couch. Lily and Ashley were relieved to find James safe. All were too tired to talk ask or recount about what how the night had gone, and it was wordlessly agreed to wait until morning. The two girls tried to wake up Aria so she could come up to the dorm with them, but she slept soundly. 

"How are we going to wake her up? We can't drag her up the stairs," wondered Ashley. 

"Maybe someone should kiss her," suggested Lily. Her four friends gave her an odd look. "Hey, if it worked for Snow White it can work for her. She even looks like her, with the hair. Maybe she's the real, un-fairytale copy of Snow White!" 

James raised an eyebrow at Sirius, Peter, and Ashley. 

"Should I even bother to ask?" The three others shook their heads. "That's what I thought. Ok, well, Sirius, why don't you dump her off upstairs?" 

"Why me?" asked Sirius, yawning. 

"Because I'm going upstairs right now, Peter can't lift people, and Lily and Ashley can't lift her either," James replied with a yawn as well. 

Ashley rolled her eyes. 

"You make her sound like an elephant." 

Sirius grinned mischievously.

"If she were an elephant, Remus would know what to do with her!" 

Lily and Ashley gave each other questioning looks, and then decided not to ask as James and Sirius snickered. 

"So will you carry her or not?" asked Lily impatiently. 

Sirius nodded and carefully lifted Aria off of the couch. She stirred, slightly, and rested her head in a comfortable spot against his chest, and unconsciously wrapped an arm around his neck. James, Lily, and Ashley exchanged knowing looks, and Peter became confused. 

Sirius couldn't help but notice how right it felt to hold her in his arms, how she fit perfectly against him as he made his way up the girls' staircase. ^_Forget it, she's with Diggory the Dolt, and she's happy with him. Besides, she'd never think of me that way. I'm just the best friend. Nothing more_.^ He kicked the door open, found her bed, and tucked her in. Sirius paused for a moment, and then hastily left the dormitory. 

***

Early the next morning, Aria woke up with a feeling of calmness and happiness. The sleep had done her good. She had felt so safe and secure that night, and now she felt blissfully able to forget for a while that she was an Alcantvus and Amos. Aria quickly brushed and showered, and then hurried to the Great Hall for breakfast. Just as she was about to bite into a piece of fluffy French toast, she heard a voice behind her. 

"Why hello, Aria. How odd, Potter, Black, and Lupin don't seem to be here." 

Aria turned to find Amos glaring at her, with absolutely no love in his eyes. Suddenly, the happiness of the morning and the security of the night vanished. Before, when they had first begun to date, his voice had made her heart beat faster. Now, it only filled her heart with dread. His eyes used to light up when she was with him, and now there was only anger and annoyance. 

"Good morning, Amos. Where's your drooling fanclub? They're late for ogling at you," she replied evenly. 

"Stop playing your sick little game. At least I don't spend every waking minute with them instead of with you!" he snarled. 

"I don't spend every waking minute with my friends! I've been ditching them for you ever since we started going out!" she snapped angrily. 

"I hate to break it to you, but that's what a relationship is. You have to sacrifice things to make things work!" Amos shouted. 

Aria used every ounce of willpower she had to keep herself from slapping him. ~_HE'S trying to lecture ME about relationships? I've been giving up everything to be with him, I ditched my friends, I signed up to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas instead of home, and he's trying to tell ME what sacrifice is_!~

"Really? So what have you sacrificed?" she asked icily. 

Amos blew up. 

"Time! Time that I could be spending with someone who actually cares about me as much as I care about them, and not with someone who cuddles up with Sirius Black!" 

The words cut her like a knife through her heart. ~_HOW DARE HE? How DARE he say that? I've given him all the time in the world, all of my love, and THIS is what he says to me_!~ 

"I do care about you as much as you care about me, but you're just so blinded by your damn jealousy of James and Sirius and Remus that you can't see that! And if you really loved me you'd never accuse me of 'cuddling up' to my best friend because you'd know that I would never, ever do that! You'd trust me, the same way I trust you! I never once questioned why you're getting "extra help" with Herbology from Esha Patel when I could easily have helped you because I trust you! So if you really love me, you'll trust me!" 

Aria's screams filled the Great Hall, and the few students who were eating breakfast stopped to watch the argument. Amos turned a dark red hue of rage. 

"I DO trust you, I just don't trust them-"

"WHY THE HELL NOT? What have they ever done to you?" 

"You know what Aria? I'm sick and tired of this shit. It happens every time we're together! There's an entire school of girls here that would do anything to be with me, and if you can't figure out your priorities I'm not going to waste my time with you! You've got to choose between me and them!" 

Aria couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't remember why she had ever loved him or let him kiss her. *_HE'S AN INFURIATING SELFISH GIT! If it were up to him I'd be strapped down to his bed for the rest of my life! God, this is INSANE! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE_!*

"So I was just another fling for you? I was just there to kiss? Well if you're wasting your time then I sure as hell won't stand in your way. I pick them," she whispered angrily. 

Her voice shook with emotion, with the rage and humiliation Amos made her feel. He turned a dark red hue, obviously not pleased with the answer. 

"You're making the wrong choice," he said angrily, and pressed his mouth against hers. 

Aria slapped him with all her strength, and he quickly pulled away, feeling the brick red mark on his cheek that would soon bruise. He gave her one last look of pure hatred, which she returned, and stormed out of the Great Hall. Aria stood rooted to the spot, shaking with rage. She had never felt this angry in her entire life, and she could barely think straight. Without her noticing, tears began to fall, and she ran out of the Great Hall, not knowing where she was going, but wanting nothing more than to get away. 

****

Thank yous:

1. **WolfMoon**: Thank you!

2. **Lady Meriadoc**: Thank you so much, I'm glad it was good enough to make you feel that way. Um. I didn't mean that in a mean way, just I'm glad it touched you like that. 

3. **fireangel**: Thank you so much! And I'm glad you told me that! 

4. **Xela**: Aw froogle I though I was being so mysterious! LoL, jk, I thought it was pretty obvious. Yea, froogle is my word, I actually got it from the word 'frugal'. Yea, we got a kick out of that in sixth grade. Thanksgiving is celebrated in America as a time to give thanks. It started when the Indians brought their food and shared it with the Pilgrims to help them get through the winter? I don't know if I'm completely accurate; been out of school for a while now. And you're welcome! 

5. **chickensoup3**: Thank you so much, that means a lot to me! 

6. **Caz**: Thank you!

7. **Malkavian Kirie Croiff**: Yay! I got it right! LoL thank you!

8. **SiriDragon**: Thank you! Yea, I'd hate to go through that too. 

9. **Maigon Jesolite - L Fuchsia**: Thank you! 

10. **Interested Reader**: Aw, I'm sorry I made you cry. But thank you anyway! Eek maybe I shouldn't make it too sad from now on? 

11. **Lamina Court**: LoL yes, everyone opened up. Well, kinda. Anyhoozies, I've always thought of the Potters as mysterious, and none of the other fics have his family as bad, so I thought I'd try it. 

12. **GohanSJ3**: EEEEEE thank you so much! Aw froogle, you're right, I need to get more Sirius in there! Eep, I'm sorry I took so long with this chapter! Thank you!

13. **hErShEyKiSsEs17**: Yes, alcantvi is plural of alcantvus. Thank you!

14. **Sinnient Evans**: Thank you!

15. **Louisa Potter**: Thank you!

16. **The Light and The Dark**: Thank you, that makes me so happy!

17. **Hermione Joanne Potter**: Um. Yes, well, it was a very good chapter!

18. **Shree**: Isn't he a great bro?

19. **Starpearl**: Thank you! LoL, I'm just as amazed as you are!

20. **Blanca-Nieve**: Thank you!

21. **BookCrazee68**: LMAO hahahaha. Dream on! Everyone knows I'm cuter. Anyhoozies, thanks a bunch spur, this one's just for you and gosling and mr. jariv rainam!

22. **lama**: Erf, sorry this took so long! Aw froogle, what did I do? Why do you find the marauders disgusting, tell me and I'll fix it. LoL, thank you, I'm glad you like my version of Dumbledore, and I LOVE West too! Whoopsies, hehehe I meant to put werewolf, not plural. Remus is the only werewolf. Thanks about the Alcantvi, its Latin. 

23. **jtyw**: Thank you!

24. **Jariv Rainam**: Yes, I know its you. Hahaha sucker, I got off worse on new year's eve. Thank you, and NO JAMES IS NOT A SEEKER!! THOSE POOPIE MOVIE PEOPLE GOT IT WRONG! WROOOOOOOOOONG!!! Erfie, yes I do use those expressions a lot. I dunno why. Should I stop? But thanks, and I'm not an apple! *laughs manically* 


	13. Plots and Passions

__

Disclaimer: I only own Lucan, the Alcantvi, and Aria. 

A/N: I know that this is a REALLY weenie chapter, and I planned to do more, but I can't get going and I figured you all would hunt me down and stone me if I didn't get at least SOMETHING up soon. So here you go! But in the next chapter, I am DEFINITELY going to put in more romance and stuff. I'm pretty hopeless at it, but I think its CUTE! ü 

Chapter 13: Plots and Passions

Back at the dark castle in the mountains, where it seemed that all evil seemed to spawn from, Lord Voldemort's lip curled when a Death Eater walked into the room. The servant knew his master was obviously angry and annoyed. 

"Lucan," he hissed eerily. "I believe that I bestowed an important assignment upon you." 

The other wizard did not move, or even break his master's gaze. Voldemort began to circle him, as a predator circles its prey seconds before the kill. 

"You have never failed to gain supporters or eliminate any, shall we call them, obstacles. If it were not for this fact, I can assure you that you would not still be standing in my presence." 

The Death Eater still stood motionless. 

"If your son is even anywhere near as powerful as you claim he is-"

"I can assure you that he is, My Lord," Lucan said. 

"-Then I have no need to remind you how valuable and how important his service is, have I?" the Dark Lord asked menacingly, as if daring his servant to cause himself to be reminded. 

"Oh, of course not, My Lord. But need I remind you that my son is not your average Death Eater-to-be? That he has an infuriating sense of justice and is strong willed with a mind of his own? And the fact that he loathes me with every fiber in his being?" 

Had any other Death Eater spoken to him in that way, Voldemort would have killed him on the spot, but not with Lucan. The Dark Lord sneered, which was a good sign for his servant. It meant that he had agreed. 

"I know perfectly well that your son will not be easy to recruit. I was the one who brought that matter to your attention, if you would do so well as to remember. I shall compromise with you. If at least you make certain that he and the mudblood flower are not kept apart-"

"What? Not kept apart? Never! I will make certain that he and that disgusting whore are separated!" 

"If he cares for that piece of filth, we can use her to persuade him to join us, you fool!" Voldemort hissed. 

"With all due respect, My Lord," he began, sarcastically, "it will not work. We tried that with his sister, and that only made things worse." 

"It will work. I know that it will. I will explain the finer details to you later, but now, back to my compromise. If you make certain that he and the mudblood are not kept apart, I will give you as much time as needed. But remember, we have others to deal with, besides him. There is the matter of the young Alcantvus." 

The other man's eyes lit up with a sick excitement. 

"Ah, yes," he murmured. "That old crackpot Dumbledore still has not mentioned to her that she has the ability to do magic with her wand? My, my, my, we shall have quite some fun with her."

Master and servant both shared evil, blood-chilling laughs.

***

At Hogwarts, Lily awoke the next morning to warm sunbeams caressing her skin. She smiled and spent a few minutes in bed, basking in the beauty of the morning, until she suddenly remembered that Dumbledore had told them to tell James to see him. She then reluctantly forced herself out of bed. Aria seemed to have already left, along with Trewyn and Ebony, and Ashley was still sleeping, but shouting at someone for a pencil because she absolutely had to draw a porcupine in the next three minutes. Lily clasped her hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter, and quickly dashed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower. When she had finished, Ashley was whining that her fuzzy slippers had been eaten by a hinkypunk. 

"Ash!" Lily shouted. 

Ashley bolted up in bed and looked around wildly. 

"Lily! Why'd you wake me up? I was sleeping!" said Ashley, as if Lily wasn't very bright. 

"No, really? I thought you were hula dancing!" said Lily sarcastically. "And you deserve it, for waking me up in the middle of the night to take you to Dumbledore. Sheesh, does that man ever sleep? And did you tell James last night that he needs to see him?" 

Ashley smiled slyly. 

"Nope."

"Ok um, why are you smiling like that?"

"I figured _you'd_ want to wake him up yourself!" 

_Shoot! Does she know? How can she know_? **_There's nothing to know because you don't like him! You can't_**! _But_- **_NO_**! Lily gaped at her, dumbstruck and panicking, but Ashley didn't seem to notice. 

"Run along now, and go catch yourself a man!" Ashley laughed with a surprisingly good attempt at a Southern drawl, and she pushed her friend out the door. 

"I'm gonna catch YOU and make you sorry when I'm done!" Lily hollered, but Ashley just smiled sweetly and shut the door. 

Lily opened it to poke her head in.

"You're drawing pencils are in the desk drawer, you know, and Aria borrowed your fuzzy slippers last week." 

Ashley's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something, but Lily interrupted. 

"Sorry, dahling, I have to run now. But isn't it fortunate you didn't say anything embarrassing? Maybe about a certain grey-eyed young man you seem to gaze at day after day in History of Magic when you think no one's looking?" 

Ashley looked so surprised it was funny. 

"What are you talking-"

"TTFN!" Lily exclaimed, and dashed out the door. 

She dashed up the stairs to the fifth year boy's dormitory and found James, Sirius, Peter, Joseph Thomas, Tobias Patterson, and Matthew Lynn all sound asleep. Remus would probably be in the hospital wing, healing the beating he had given himself. Lily made her way over to James' bed and threw the covers off of him, which turned out to be a wrong move because he turned out to be shirtless. She couldn't help but stare at his muscled physique until she caught herself and shook her head. **_Don't. It'll just make things harder_**. James groaned, still asleep, and reached for his covers, but Lily giggled silently and kept them away, hoping this would wake him up. Unfortunately, James seemed to accept the fact that his covers had disappeared due to an unknown thing, and continued to sleep. She sat down on the bed. 

"James, wake up, Dumbledore needs to see you." 

"I can bake a cookie by myself, thank you." 

Lily stared at him. **_First Dumbledore, then Ashley, and now him too. EVERYONE in this school is entirely insane_**. 

"That's very smart of you, and I'm glad to know that, but you have to get up, Dumbledore wants to see you," said Lily, a bit louder. 

James turned over. 

"JAMES WHATEVER-THE-HELL-YOUR-MIDDLE-NAME-IS POTTER WAKE UP!" screamed Lily in James' ear and he awoke with a start, almost knocking her off the bed in the process. 

"For the love of Quidditch, Lils, what do you want?" he said sleepily. 

"Get up! Dumbledore wants to see you now!" 

"Tell him I'm tired and every muscle in my body is sore from last night and that I'll see him when I'm good and ready," said James, lying back down. Lily softened a bit. 

"How'd it go last night? Did it work?" 

"Yea, it worked. It was actually kind of fun too, besides for when we were Remus' chew toys, but I'm glad that it worked. Now he won't hurt himself as much." 

"Oh, good. Now get up! UP! NOW! Or I'll set, um, something on you!" 

James groaned and complained some more, but finally got out of bed and promised to go see Dumbledore. After Lily left, he smiled despite himself and wished she was the first thing he saw every morning when he woke up. Meanwhile, the redhead collapsed onto the couch, breathing hard and trying to still the quick beating of her heart while the image of a shirtless James with bedhair ran through her head. 

***

Aria threw open the great, oak, main entrance doors and let her feet carry her wherever they pleased, sobbing and gasping as she never had before. They could have taken her into the Forbidden Forest and straight into the jaws of a wild beast, for all she cared. All she wanted was for the pain that kept stabbing her heart without ceasing ever since _he_ had spoken those horrible words to her to end, but it wouldn't. It was as if someone was ripping her heart out of her body or squeezing it so tightly that she could barely breathe, that they wanted her to feel the pain and realize how blind and naïve she had been. Finally, she could run no more, and she fell to her knees onto the cold, wet, snowy ground of the Quidditch Pitch. There, she hugged herself tightly, trying to pull herself back together, but it didn't work. *_How could he? How could he do this to me? GOD, to think that I actually thought I was in love with that conceited ASSHOLE! Why am I so STUPID_?* Aria sobbed onto her knees and quivered because of the freezing temperature and of the pain that was suffocating her. 

"Why look here, Ebs, it's the biggest freak in school!" said a snobby, cruel voice behind her. Aria didn't have to look around to know that it was Trewyn and Ebony. 

"The most pathetic thing is that she actually thought Amos was interested in her," Ebony sighed dramatically. 

Aria shut her eyes as tightly as she could and prayed with all of her might for them to go away. Trewyn clucked her tongue in what would have been a sympathetic manner, had it not been coming from her. 

"That'll teach her. Next time, she won't try so hard with someone so obviously out of her league." 

"That's not true!" Aria said so feebly that she barely believed herself. "None of what you said is true!" 

"It is and you know," Ebony snapped. 

"Why don't you go out with someone more on the same level of freakishness you are, like Frank Longbottom?" said Trewyn frostily, and both turned on their heels and left. 

*_Maybe they're right. Amos was way out of my league. I never should have been stupid enough to think he could possibly like me. GOD I've done this to myself, haven't I_?* 

"THIS ISN'T FAIR! WHY is it that people who DESERVE to feel this way, like TREWYN or EBONY or that SON-OF-A-BITCH never have to deal with this? WHY ME?" she screamed defeatedly to no one and everyone at the same time, before becoming drained of any energy except to cry harder, and collapsed onto the snow, curled up in a ball.

Sirius left the hospital wing and shut the door softly behind him. Remus still hadn't awoken from his sleep, so he had left a small note for him and left. He smiled to himself, for Remus actually looked very peaceful and not as if he had just crashed into the Whomping Willow on a broomstick. True, he was still dreadfully pale, dishelved, scarred, and bruised, but not nearly as much as he would have been, had he transformed alone. Sirius left the wing for the Quidditch Pitch to warm up before Quidditch practice that would be held later that day. When he arrived, though, he was not expecting to see Aria curled up in the snow, curly black hair concealing her face and her blank, red eyes, which had cried to their extent. 

"Aria?" Sirius asked softly, brushing the hair away from her face. "Aria! How long have you been out here? What happened to you?" 

Slowly, Aria looked up to find a panicky Sirius before her. She wanted him to leave so that she didn't have to feel anything: the pain, the hurt, the confusion. She wanted to go numb, but if Sirius was with her, she couldn't. She would have to feel, and that was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment. On the other hand, she wanted someone to stay with her, someone who would understand and who cared about her. She flung her arms around Sirius' neck and buried her face against his shoulder. 

"I-I wish you hadn't seen me like this," Aria said in a muffled voice. Sirius stroked her hair and wrapped his arms around her. 

"I wish you weren't like this for me to see in the first place. What happened? What's wrong?" 

Aria looked up at him, tears welling up in her exotic eyes once more. 

"He dumped me today," she whispered softly. "Just threw me away like an old shoe. Said I was being selfish because I didn't devote every waking hour to him! He tried to lecture ME about making sacrifices! He kept whining like the insecure little git that he is about how angry he was that I hung out with you and James and Remus. And the worst part of it is that I actually thought that I had a chance with someone like him. I-I thought I was in love. God, I can't believe I'm such an idiot!" 

Aria cried softly against his shoulder, and Sirius felt himself stiffen, anger surging throughout his body. 

"He dumped you? HE dumped YOU? Where is he? I'll kill him!" ^_How could he do this to her? I always knew he was a moron, but I never knew he was that stupid! Look what he's done to her! I'll show HIM what happens when you break Aria's heart! I'll rip him apart, limb to limb with my bare hands if I have to_!^

"Sirius-"

"That dirty, rotten, no good, son-of-a-"

"Sirius! Calm down! Please, just let it alone! I-I don't want any more trouble!" Aria pleaded. Sirius, however, was far too enraged to do as she asked. 

"He doesn't deserve to be walking around the school at this very moment while you're like this! He's going to pay for it!" 

"SIRIUS! Please! Don't do anything stupid! I don't want anymore trouble! I don't want him any angrier with you than he already is! Come on, don't do it, for my sake!" 

Sirius opened his mouth to argue some more, but then consented. "Wait, he dumped you because of me? And James and Remus?" 

"It's not your fault at all, or theirs, its-its mine. I've done this to myself!" she whispered. 

He gently pushed her away for a moment and tilted her chin upwards. 

"Hey, look at me. Don't ever say that it was your fault! It wasn't! If he can't appreciate you and see what a beautiful, fun, smart, amazing girl you are, then he doesn't deserve you! Its HIS fault, not yours! You deserve someone better than him, Aria!" 

^_Someone like me_.^ He looked at her with such intensity and caring that she diverted her gaze. 

"I'm tired, Sirius, I just want to forget about all of this. I think I'll go take a nap," Aria said softly, though she didn't want to leave the security she felt in his arms. 

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked. 

Aria smiled at the amount of concern in his voice. *_He's so sweet. Why can't all guys be like that? Why is it that I end up dating conceited assholes when there are people like Sirius out there_?* Startled at that thought, she shook herself mentally. *_Wait, did that mean I wanted to date Sirius? No, no of course not! We're just friends. Right_?* 

"I'll be ok. But I wouldn't be anywhere even near there if you hadn't come along. Thanks, Sirius. How would I live without you?" 

Sirius was surprised by her question, though he knew it was rhetorical. He looked down at the ground between them, heart pounding wildly. 

"Actually, Aria, about that. I-um-well-you see-uh-" he struggled with the words that had been trapped in his heart for five years. 

^_Shit. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I ought to just stop right now. I can't make a move on her when her boyfriend has just broken up with her! What am I doing_?^ 

"Yes?" asked Aria, puzzled. 

"The thing is that, um, I-I think I-"

"Yes?" she whispered, her heart pounding. 

He finally gave up with trying to find a word for something indescribable, and kissed her gently but firmly. She was too astounded to do anything but kiss him back. She felt herself melt in his arms, and wrapped her arms around his neck to keep her steady. He was unaware of everything except the feel of her lips against his, the feel of her delicate body against his hard one. All of a sudden, it ended as she broke apart from him, dazed. 

"Sirius," she gasped. "What-"

"I think I'm in love with you, Aria," he said softly, leaning his forehead against hers. 

*_Did Sirius just say he loves me? EEE_!* 

"I have ever since first year, when you slapped me before the Sorting Ceremony. Its been killing me inside for so long, being so near to you yet so far away, talking to you as if everything's normal when all I want to do is kiss you. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met in my entire life. I love the way you smile, the way you laugh, and all of your odd quirks. I know that you're trying to get over Amos right now, and now probably isn't the best time to tell you this, but, I don't know what came over me. I just had to tell you. And I know Amos was probably a better kisser, but-" 

"Sirius," said Aria shakily, but she smiled. "You're a real idiot sometimes, you know that?" 

Sirius looked away from her, hurt. 

"I know I shouldn't have said anything, but-"  
Aria laughed. 

"You great prat. You're a million times better than Amos at kissing." And with that, she kissed him as hard as she could. Sirius smiled and kissed her back, pulling her closer to him and delving deeper and deeper into her mouth. 

****

Thank yous: 

old soul: Thank you! Yes, it is quite long. I really need to wrap this up.** reese: **Thank you! **Clavel: **Thank you so much!** Lupus Argenteus Noctus: **LoL, thanks! **Shree: **Yupyupyup he sure did! **Kaydee:** I can't tell you if they'll die soon. You'll just have to find out! *Evil grin* **BookCrazee68: **Adorable little sassafras, my foot. LoL, jk. Don't worry, there WILL be a ball soon. I'm a procrastinator everyone. **PJ: **Heehe-HEY shut up!!! I'm SLOW ok, I take my own sweet time. Lol ok thanks. **Kleopatra: **Lily might be, she might not. I dunno, I haven't really planned this, it just popped out. **jtyw: **Yes, Amos is in HufflepuffBUT THAT'S NOT A DISS TO HUFFLEPUFF! I love Hufflepuff. I was a Hufflepuff.** Leitheindel: **LoL, thank you! I read those two stories, they were really good! Ashley's a Seer, Aria's an Alcantvus. Thanks!** Milkyweed: **Dude! You read my mind! How did you know that that would happen? Honestly, you all are so perceptive! **Louisa Potter: **Thank you! **Caz: **Aw you're too generous. And AH how'd you know that that was what would happen??? But don't worry, Aria's not going anywhere after Sirius goes to Azkaban. *Smiles proudly because she knows what will happen* **Jariv Rainam: **Oh LA DEE DA so sue me I spelled shit wrong. LoL jk. Thank you! Wait a secdude, why did you review twice? LoL, oh well, it makes the fic look better. Thanks anyway!** Lamina Court: **I dunno what Lily will be, maybe I'll make James transform into Batman, and then she'll be Catwoman, and they can duke it out and realize they love each otherjk, I'd never do that. What's a mage, by the way?** Wolf of Avalon: **Thank you! There's lotsa Sirius in this chapter, and Remus will take up the next (I hope). It makes me sad that I haven't put him in as much because he's my favorite dude, but I have something in mind for him **Atlantis Forester: **You're way too kind! **Lady Meriadoc: **LoL, thank you! ** Rachel: **Well, we'll see what happens when the time comes! **Fiona: **Thank you! **lover of the Dragon: **LOL thank you!** mystikalolo: **Thank you! **Moe23: **Thanks!** Harry'sgurl: **Thanks so much!** Annie: **Heeheehee, thanks!** Kayla: **Don't worry, its coming.** Claire: Thanks! **


	14. BrokenWinged Birds and Clear As Mud Lake

__

Disclaimer: I own Trewyn, Ashley, Aria, Wren, West, and, unbelievably, this plot! So don't steal it!!! 

A/N: James' thoughts are in * *, ONLY in the part with him and Dumbledore. Otherwise, when you see * *, its Aria's thoughts. Ashley's are ~ ~, Sirius' are ^ ^, and you all know Lily's. The Italian is courtesy of the language translator at www.google.com_ . Enjoy! _

Chapter 14: Broken-Winged Birds and Clear As Mud Lakes

James closed the door to the Headmaster's office and stepped inside of the circular room. Dumbledore was looking out the window with a very amused expression on his face and stroking Fawkes idly. James thought for a moment that he had heard him say 'it's about time', but then decided that his mind was playing tricks on him. 

"Good morning, Mr. Potter. I trust you slept well?" 

James nodded politely and sat down in a chair facing the Headmaster. 

"I assume that you are curious to know why you are here. It turns out that your friend Miss McKinnon is in fact a Seer, and-"

"Ash is a Seer?" James interrupted, astonished. *_Whoa, did not see that one coming_.* "How long have you-"

"Only since around three a.m. this morning," Dumbledore chuckled. "She and Miss Evans paid me a visit quite early this morning, and we confirmed that Miss McKinnon is indeed a Seer." 

James gaped at him, mouth open in shock. *_Wow. Next thing he'll be telling me is that Lily's a veela. Hell, I could believe she was a veela, with those curves_* 

"Er, wow, Sir," he stuttered. "Uh, what does that have to do with me though?" 

"She had a vision about you last night, which is the reason that she and Miss Evans came to my office."

"She had a vision about me?" James exclaimed, dumbfounded. 

"Miss McKinnon claimed that in her vision she saw you and your father at the edge of a forest at sunset," Dumbledore explained. 

By the expression upon James' face, he did not need to explain what Lucan had done in the vision. The boy gripped the arm of his chair so tight that his knuckles became white, and gritted his teeth. 

"He beat me, didn't he." 

It was not a statement. James could feel Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes on him, so intense that he felt certain that he was reading his thoughts. 

"Yes," the headmaster said. 

James laughed bitterly. 

"It figures. Just when I thought things were beginning to look better. I can't believe I actually hoped he had decided to leave me alone." 

"It is never foolish to hope for dreams, James. In the words of a great American poet, Langston Hughes, 'Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken winged bird That cannot fly'," Dumbledore said softly. 

"My life has been a broken winged bird since it started, Professor. Dreams are for birds with both wings," James said angrily. 

Dumbledore smiled, amused. 

"In a way, I disagree with Mr. Hughes. What you stated may very well be true, but you have forgotten that you still have one fully functional wing, have you not?" 

James was at a loss for words, and Dumbledore chuckled. 

"You see? Your other wing still gives you a chance to fly, even though one is broken. Your life may is not easy, Mr. Potter. Your hardships certainly have given you a broken wing. But, if you will not believe that you have a chance to overcome these setbacks, that there is hope that they _can_ be overcome, then you are wasting your other wing. If you have no hope, you may as well have two broken wings." 

James sighed and ran his hair through his messy, raven colored hair. 

"I do hope that Lucan will be locked up in Azkaban for the rest of his miserable years, but I just can't see it happening. It would almost be too good to hope for." 

" Your obstacles will be overcome, one way or another," said Dumbledore firmly. 

James was puzzled by the man's certainty, but said nothing. 

"That is all, Mr. Potter, you may go. Oh, and remember that rain always falls, no matter how fearful it is that it will crush a flower with its strength." 

Dumbledore beamed at him, and James mouthed like a goldfish out of water for a few moments before giving up on trying to understand his eccentric headmaster and hurried hastily out the door. 

Lily and Ashley ran out of the girls' dormitory, clutching their sides with laughter. A few moments after they had burst into the common room, a high-pitched scream rang throughout all of Gryffindor Tower, and Trewyn appeared at the foot of the stairs seconds later. The two mischievous girls had slipped a Boil Brew into the other girl's facial spa cream and muggle electric green hair dye into her shampoo. Now, standing with a towel wrapped around her, neon green hair dripping and face covered with acne, Trewyn Li looked like a muggle fairytale's description of a wicked witch, which Lily and Ashley found to suit her very well. 

"YOU! Look what you FREAKS have done!" she roared, which was quite a change from her usual smooth, seductive, snobbish voice. 

The two girls collected themselves long enough to respond. 

"What's wrong Trewyn?" Ashley asked innocently. 

"What do you mean, 'look what you've done'? You look perfectly normal to me!" Lily smirked, and she and her comrade both fell back into loud laughter. 

"I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I'll make your lives living hells!" she snarled, and flounced back into the dormitory. 

Lily and Ashley continued to laugh. 

"That-that was priceless!" Ashley gasped. 

"I wish I had had my camera! Trewyn Li covered in acne and with electrocuted spinach for hair!" said Lily. 

Before Ashley could respond, the portrait hole swung open and Aria and Sirius walked in, hand in hand, laughing softly and almost nervously. Lily and Ashley exchanged questioning looks before looking imploringly at Aria. She avoided their eyes, as did Sirius. Lily cleared her throat loudly, and the two-lovestruck teenagers' heads snapped towards her and Ashley. Sirius and Aria blushed. Suddenly, it dawned upon the other two as they realized what had happened to make their friends act in such an odd way. 

"Oh my God!" Lily squealed, bouncing up and down. 

"Its bloody well about time!" exclaimed Ashley, beaming upon the couple. "If you two hadn't hurried along, we would've locked you in a closet until you did!" 

"When? How?" Lily asked. 

Aria was about to answer when James, Remus, and Peter came through the portrait whole. The three boys had a look of confusion on their face as they took in their surroundings. A bouncing Lily, who looked as if Christmas had arrived; a beaming Ashley, who looked as if she had just won a hundred galleons; and a smiling, bashful Sirius and Aria, who were holding hands. 

"What's going on?" asked Peter, utterly confused. 

James and Remus glanced over at the teenage couple and burst out laughing. Peter seemed more confused than ever. 

"Why are you two laughing? What's going on?

"Oh for the love of Quidditch, Peter, are you completely blind?" asked James, exasperated. 

Peter still looked confused. 

"Sirius and Aria are together!" exclaimed Lily. 

"I know that, they're standing together right there. Why are you all so happy?" asked Peter, stupidly. 

"Good lord, Pete, she means that they're _together_ together! As in dating together! Do you get it now?" asked James. 

Realization dawned upon the boy's face. 

"Oh!" he exclaimed. 

Lily rolled her eyes. 

"Yes!" she said, sarcastically. "Took you long enough!" 

Peter sneered at her, which no one, not even Lily, saw. 

"How did this happen?" Ashley asked. 

"And what happened to Diggory?" asked James. 

"Aria! I never thought I'd see the day! Did you cheat on Amos for Sirius?" asked Lily, mischievously. 

"Amos broke it off with me today in the Great Hall at breakfast," Aria began softly, and Sirius put his arm around her. "I-"

"That bastard!" 

"What an idiot!" 

"Stereotypical Hufflepuff, that one is! Gives all the rest of them a bad name!" 

"The asshole!" 

"Yea, I know," said Aria, smiling. 

She couldn't help but feel touched that her friends were so incredibly angry with the person who had crushed her completely. 

"Anyway, I was crying on the Quidditch Pitch and Trewyn and Ebony waltzed by. They weren't exactly, er, helpful or sensitive, and I was about ready to throw myself into the lake when Sirius came along-" 

Lily and Ashley sighed softly and girlishly. Sirius turned a particularly comical shade of magenta. James and Remus were laughing at their friend's discomfort. 

"Aw, Sirius!" 

"That's so sweet! Then what did you do?" 

"I asked her what was wrong, and then I told her that Diggory was a moron, and then I told her I loved her, and then I kissed her," said Sirius. 

The four friends looked incredulously at him. Lily rolled her eyes. 

"All right. Come on, Aria, we're going upstairs." 

"Yea, Sirius, you're coming with us," said James, steering his friend towards the boys' staircase. 

"What?" asked Aria. 

"Why?" Sirius asked, confused. 

"Hey, Aria, why are you crying your eyes out? Oh, Amos broke up with you, did he? Its ok, don't feel bad. By the way, I love you. Let's go snog!" said Ashley, sarcastically. "Yea. Right. That's really how it happened. We want details, and you obviously aren't going to give them while you're with each other." 

Aria, Lily, and Ashley trekked up to the girl's dormitory, and James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter made their way on up to theirs. Ashley closed the door of their room, and Remus did so for his. 

"All right. Spill," said Lily and James. 

So Sirius and Aria recounted their recent encounter in the snow. 

***

Over the next weeks, the news that Sirius and Aria where going out spread throughout the school like wildfire. At first, many girls whom she had not even met in her entire five years at Hogwarts had stopped Aria in the halls. They told her that they didn't blame her for succumbing to Sirius' good looks and charms, but tried to prepare her for being tossed aside for a new fling by the next week. As Christmas approached and the two were still happily dating, the shock settled in that Sirius Black, one of Hogwarts' main playboys, was serious about a girl. Aria's popularity amongst the females of the school dropped drastically, as they were all insanely jealous. She didn't mind this at all, seeing as she still had Ashley, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and James, and joked about the issue with her friends, until one particular day. Two seventh year girls actually slipped undiluted bubotuber pus into her dragon hide gloves, so that she had run out of Herbology screaming shrilly. James, Remus, Ashley, Sirius, and Lily had found out who the two criminals were. They then switched their perfumes with Dungbomb gas so that they spent the entire day smelling like a pile of cow manure, and after that, Aria had no trouble at all, save for the nasty glares she received daily. 

Christmas soon crept up on the castle, taking it by surprise. Lily could not understand where the time had gone. It seemed as if only yesterday she had stepped into the Entrance Hall for the first time, cold and indifferent to the staff and students. When the time came to sign up to stay at the school over the holidays, she felt torn. Of course, West had invited her to come back to Salem for Christmas and the New Year. For the first time in ages, Lily had a home to come back to, but strangely, she didn't want to go. Something inside of her was begging to stay at Hogwarts, telling her to stay at the castle for as long as she was able to before she would be obligated, no, able, to return back to Salemher home.

Lily had been sitting on the window seat in the common room during a party in Gryffindor Tower (they had won a spectacular game of Quidditch against the Ravenclaws) the night before the holidays began, contemplating her decision. She had thought out the pros and cons of each, and had wondered what Tigger would do if he had the choice to either stay in the 100 Acre Woods or stay somewhere else, like in King Triton's kingdom. In the end, she had written back to West and told him that she would be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. She sighed softly and watched the light snowflakes fall upon the ground below. **_I can't BELIEVE you chose Salem over Hogwarts_**! _Its because Salem is home. It always has been, ever since I got my acceptance owl and I finally got to leave that drunken maniac's foster home_. **_Exactly! Salem is home! So why the hell did you choose Hogwarts_**? _Because now I'm here, and I feel some sort of energy run through me every day when I wake up, like my body's excited about where it is_. **_Well, that's complete shit. How can you feel that? You've only been here four months! You've been at Salem for four YEARS_**! _But_- **_No_**! 

"Oh, go fly into the Whomping Willow," Lily snapped irritably at the annoying voice in her head. 

"My goodness, Tigger, aren't we touchy, I only wanted to know why you were sitting here in the corner instead of enjoying the party," said James, amused. 

Lily turned her head quickly towards James, and blushed as red as her hair. 

"Oh crap, sorry, James, I-I didn't mean for you to fly into the Willow, I was talking to the voice in my head," Lily explained. 

__

Oh good lord! Smooth move, Evans! Now he's going to think that I'm some sort of schizophrenic lunatic! James raised an eyebrow at Lily, who now, if possible, turned an even deeper hue of scarlet. 

"Um, just-just ignore I said that. And don't even THINK of using that as blackmail against me," she added hastily, seeing the trademark Marauder grin spread upon James' face. 

"Now why would I do such a thing?" he asked, pretending to be deeply hurt. 

Lily gave him a 'do-you-really-want-me-to-answer-that' look, and James dropped the subject. 

"Anyway, why are you sitting all the way over here?" James said, pulling up a chair next to the window seat. 

Lily shook her head to imply that she didn't want to discuss the matter, but seeing that James would not stop pestering her until she told him, she spoke. 

"I told West that I'd be staying at Hogwarts over the holidays," she said softly. "Uh, he's the Headmaster at Salem," she added, seeing the confusion on James' face. 

"Er, is that a bad thing?" he asked. 

"I don't know. I feel like a traitor, for some reason. Like I picked the most popular girl in school over my best friend, or something like that," she said sadly. 

James fought the urge to hold her in his arms and tell her that she had nothing to feel bad about. Instead, he smiled. 

"Lils, you're looking at it in the wrong way. You only have one year to spend in a foreign country at the best school of magic in the entire U.K., right?" 

"Right"

"So all you're doing is savoring it while it lasts! You're not betraying anyone. In fact, I'm sure that this West chap will completely understand, and think of it this way as well," he said. 

"Yea, but-"

"You'll have a blast, Tigger! Hogwarts is fabulous over the holidays! There's great food, and you practically have the entire castle to yourself. Technically, it'll be you, me, and a couple of others, but you get the idea of it." 

"Oh joy. I just can't wait," said Lily sarcastically, while inside her heart fluttered about. **_At least this way you won't be completely bored out of your mind_**. _Oh froogle why do I have to be so sarcastic_? "But seriously, thanks, James." 

"Anytime. Want to come with Sirius, Remus, Aria, Ashley, and I? We're going to the Ravenclaws' floor to charm their Quidditch team's hair scarlet and gold with 'Go Gryffindor' written on them" said James excitedly. 

"I'm figuring that none of you have the slightest idea of how to do this," said Lily, trying hard not to smile. 

"Exactly. That's where you come in, oh talented, beautiful, flower goddess," said James. 

Lily was at the top of their year in charms, and although the rest were not far behind, she was much quicker and much more efficient. She was startled when he had said 'beautiful', and quickly looked into his eyes, but saw nothing but mischief there. _Stupid. Of course he didn't mean it. He just wants me to do something for him_. 

"Save your breath, Potter, and when are we leaving," she said icily. 

James did not seem to take notice of the tone of her voice, and led her out the portrait hole. 

The next morning, Lily awoke to the sounds of Ashley and Aria doing last minute packing. The two girls were running around the room frantically, looking for lost articles of clothing, hidden Christmas presents, and spell books. 

"Ashley! Where are the hair-clips that you borrowed for Halloween?"

"Umm, check the insides of my jack-o-lantern socks!" 

"EW! I give you hair-clips and you put them in your socks? How did they even get in there?" 

"Well-"

"Never mind, I don't want to know!" 

Lily observed her friends with an amused expression on her face. She then yawned and stretched, lazily getting out of bed. As the chaos ensued around her, Lily brushed her teeth, showered, and dressed in an emerald green turtleneck sweater and jeans. When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Aria sitting upon her trunk and trying to close it, with no success for it was overflowing with stuff. 

"God, Aria, are you taking everything with you? Leave some stuff here! That way your trunk will actually shut and when you're packing to come back, you won't have to remember to bring as much stuff," Lily said. 

Aria finally managed to do the clasps of her trunk, and flopped onto her bed in exhaustion. 

"I am leaving most of my stuff here. I just have a lot of Christmas presents to take back home," she explained. 

"Whatever. I'm going down to breakfast; are you coming?" Lily asked. 

Aria sat up on her bed and motioned for Lily to sit down next to her. 

"What's up?" 

"You've got it bad for James, that's what. And don't try to deny it, its as clear as the lake and twice as obvious," said Aria seriously. 

Lily gaped at her friend. _First of all, the lake is about as clear as mud, andtwice as obvious as the lake? What is she talking about_? She composed herself and shook her head in disbelief. 

"Sure, Aria. Whatever floats your boat on that clear, obvious lake of yours." 

"Oh come on, Lily! The only person who has no clue is James! Even Peter knows, for goodness sake!" 

"Rat-boy knows?" Lily asked feebly. 

"Yes." 

Lily sighed and buried her face into a pillow. 

"So when are you-" Aria began, but before she could finish, Sirius swept into the room like a hurricane. 

"Good morning, fair maidens! It is I, your knight in shining armor! I have come to aid my fair lady Melody in carrying her trunk down the perilous flights of stairs and to escort you into the Great Hall pronto, before all of the delicious foods are devoured by the lowly peasants, ravenous with hunger," he said, going down on one knee. 

Aria laughed gave him a quick kiss. 

"Shall we be off then, fair maidens?" he asked, sitting down on the bed and Lily's legs. 

"Ouch! Sirius get off me before you break my legs!" she screeched. Sirius sprang up faster than a firework. 

"Forgive me, milady, but-"

"Sirius, shut up! I'm trying to talk to her about you-know-what," Aria whispered in a low voice. 

"Ah! I see! Then this gallant knight shall be off in search of his comrade to speak with him about wooing and such! Away!" 

Sirius leapt out of the room. Lily looked up, confused. 

"Did he just say he was going to talk to James and Remus about mooing?" 

"Er, yes!" said Aria; not wanting Lily to know that Sirius was talking to James about what they were talking about now. 

Lily sat up now. 

"Since when do James and Remus moo?" 

"Forget about mooing! When are you going to tell James?" 

"Wha-gi-never! I'm not going to tell him!" Lily exclaimed. 

Aria did a double take. 

"What? Why not? What do you think you'll accomplish by keeping it to yourself?" 

"Aria, you won't understand-"

"Try me!" 

Lily sighed in exasperation. 

"Look, Aria, I'm leaving in June! After that I'm probably never going to see you or James or anyone else at Hogwarts again for as long as I live! If I told James, and if he felt the same way, what do you think would happen? We'd go out for a while and have a jolly good time, and then I'd leave and it would all be over!" 

"So you're just going to sit there like a miserable nut until you're back at Salem, and then try to forget about James? That won't work, Lily! Is that what you really want?" 

"No. But its going to be hard enough to leave in June," said Lily. 

Aria was startled to find her friend's emerald green eyes watering. 

"I don't need it to be any harder than it has to be. And if that means that I have to sit here like a miserable nut and watch him be with girl after girl, then that's what I'll do." 

"But, Lils-"

"Come on, let's get some breakfast before we go. Oh, and just to verify it, none of this gets back to James, right?" Lily asked. 

She had composed herself, and if Aria had not seen the tears with her own eyes, she would have thought that she had imagined them. 

"Not a word of it. But it can get back to Ash, right?" 

"Of course. Swear upon the ashes of a singing flower?" 

This was a sort of acronym for the three friends. Lily was the flower, Aria contributed to the singing component of it, and Ashley was, well, the ashes. 

"That and I cross my heart." 

Lily nodded, and the two girls left for the Great Hall. 

Sirius burst back into his room, which was now too clean for comfort. He and Remus had packed their trunks the night before, and now, to everyone's disappoint, the clothes that had littered the floor were gone. 

"It doesn't look very home-ish, does it Moony?" said Sirius, sitting down on his bed. "Think you'll be able to survive while we're gone, Prongs?" 

James put on a fake, brave face. 

"It'll take all of my willpower to not go mad without you guys. Come on, get off your butts and let's get some breakfast." 

"Hold it, Mr. Hungy Hippogriff," said Sirius with a straight face. 

James stared at him, but his friend did not seem to notice. Remus used his will to not laugh. 

"Um, okwhat do you want?"

"What are you going to do about Lily?" asked Remus, regaining his composure. 

"Well I was planning a romantic dinner at the swankiest restaurant in Hogsmeade. Then I was going to serenade her for a while, and then I planned on whispering sweet nothings into her ear and presenting her with a dozen roses as a token of my affection for her," said James, sarcastically. 

"Well that's a start, James," said Remus. 

"I wasn't serious."

"Of course you weren't. I am."

"Ok, that one got old a looooong time ago." 

"Oh, come off it, every moron in this school can tell you're mooning over her," exclaimed Remus, frustrated. 

"Except for her, that is," Sirius added. 

"Exactly. She doesn't think of me as any more than a friend," said James. 

^_Prongs, my friend, you are probably the slowest person on the planet. Except for Pete, that is_.^ 

"When has that ever stopped you from going out with someone?" asked Sirius, incredulously. 

"Lily's different. She's not like the others." 

"No shit, Sherlock. That's why you like her, isn't it?" Remus asked. 

"For the love of Quidditch wake up! I don't want to loose her!" James exclaimed angrily. 

"How can you loose her when you don't have her?" Sirius exclaimed. 

"Through Lucan, that's how! Remember how he killed your father?" 

Sirius looked away. 

"And how he tried to kill Remus' mum? Look where she is now, in St. Mungo's and not able to move from the waist down!" 

Remus opened his mouth to say something, but James continued. "He was hoping you guys would blame me for their deaths and desert me so that I'd have nowhere to turn except to the Dark Side! But his plans keep backfiring because you gits have stuck by me!"

"That's because us gits know that you didn't kill my dad, or hurt Remus' mum! I know you're scared, mate, but if you don't at least talk to her, you're going to wonder what would have happened if you had for the rest of your life!" said Sirius, shaking James slightly. 

James pulled away and made his way to the door. 

"You may be right, Padfoot. But at least this way, what happened to Wren will never happen to Lily." 

The two boys watched their friend leave the room. Sirius removed the photograph of Wren and James from under the pillow. He nudged Remus, and the two smiled sadly at the picture as the eleven-year old Wren waved enthusiastically at them, laughing, while being tickled incessantly by James at the same time. Both boys had shared James' pain when the girl had been murdered, as she had been their honorary little sister as well as James'. Countless times, she had made them laugh when no one else could have, helped them think up pranks, and hung out with them. In return, whenever she was upset, they were always there to cheer her up, and took care of her. 

"Wren, sweetheart, you've got one hell of a brother," said Remus softly. 

"Amen to that," said Sirius. 

Hours later, Sirius, Remus, and Peter burst into the train compartment, laughing. They had just charmed Snape's hair into an afro, and charmed his robes into a frilly, pink, ruffled ballerina tutu. Aria and Ashley glanced up from where they were sitting, and then went back to painting their nails, as they were used to random interruptions such as that. The five had said good-by to Lily and James, and then boarded the Hogwarts Express to journey back home to their families for Christmas. A few moments later, Snape stormed into the compartment, boiling with rage, and still wearing the tutu and afro. The two girls glanced up, horrified. 

"Oh. My. God. My virgin eyes!" Ashley screamed when she saw the Sugarplum Snape. 

"Well, now I've seen everything! You know, Severus, unless you enjoy looking like a stoned ballerina from the Nutcracker, why don't you change into other robes?" exclaimed Aria. 

Sirius, Remus, and Peter were now roaring with laughter, while the two girls blatantly looked away from the spectacle. 

"BLACK! LUPIN! PETTIGREW! CHANGE ME BACK!" Snape bellowed. 

"Sorry, Sevviekins, no can do. It won't wear off until midnight," wheezed Sirius. 

"Oh, you all think you're terribly funny, don't you? Mark my words, one day I'll ensure you'll wish you had never been born!" he screamed, and ran out of the room. 

The boys paid no attention to the threat, and were now leaning on the wall for support from laughing. 

"That was GROSS! Now, you know I'm all for pranking and whatnot, but-GAH! Jeez louise, you guys!" Ashley moaned. 

"Yes, really," said Aria. 

"I'm ever so sorry we've violated you, Ash, will you ever forgive us?" asked Remus dramatically. 

Ashley gave him an odd look. 

~_Heeheehee. That sounded wrong. But look how cute he looks when he's pretending to be serious. Or any other time_.~ 

"Umm-" 

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" asked the plump witch who operated the trolley cart. 

There was a mad dash for the food, and the kindly old woman looked alarmed at the rate the five teenagers were grabbing pumpkin pasties, every flavor beans, chocolate frogs, and sugar quills. 

"Er-no need to crowd, dears, plenty of treats for everyone," said the overwhelmed lady. 

The five paid for the sweets and the woman moved on. 

"Ash, want to play chess?" asked Remus. 

"Wow, that was like asking me to kick your ass," said Ashley, mischievously. 

Remus rolled his eyes. 

"Oh yea. That's why I've beaten you the past three times we've played." 

"You just got lucky. Prepare to die!" 

As the two engaged in battle, Sirius nudged Aria. 

"Let's leave them alone."

"But if something happens, I want to see it!"

"That's why we'll charm the glass on the door so that we can see and hear in but they can't see or hear out!"

"What are you standing here for then? Go already!" 

Sirius nudged Peter, and the three left the compartment. Ashley and Remus continued to play, oblivious that their friends had just left. They battled in companionable silence for a while, each seeming to be completely concentrated on the game. 

"Have you Seen anything lately?" asked Remus calmly after he had taken her rook. 

Ashley had been about to eat a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean just then, but her hand completely passed her mouth when he spoke. She ended up with a bean in her eye. Remus looked at her, amused. 

"Do you often attack yourself with sweets, Ashley, or is that one of your newer hobbies?" 

"How did you find out about that?" she whispered, wide-eyed. 

Remus laughed softly. 

"We learned the characteristics of Seers in Divination-"

"You _listen_ to that old bat? You pay attention in class? Why?" asked Ashley, thoroughly confused. 

"Just once. Anyway, that old bat, as you've so eloquently distinguished her as, said that Seers begin to See through their dreams at first, and then gradually progress to occurring whenever the Vision deems it fit to arrive. Lily and Aria told me that you screamed in your sleep sometimes, and sort of go into trances and speak in a strange voice, which is also a Seer's trait. They speak without knowing it during a Vision. The Visions also come non-stop, almost, and you told me that night in the common room that something wouldn't stop," Remus summarized. 

"But-"

"I also saw what you had drawn, that night in the common room. It was something about David Bones and how you should've spoken up." 

"I couldn't sleep for days. Months, maybe. I didn't get a good night's sleep until I went to Dumbledore about it. He said that if I welcomed the Visions instead of trying to fight them, I wouldn't have insomnia and they'd come less frequently," said Ashley, shuddering. 

"Did it work?" 

"Yea."

"Checkmate, Miss You-just-asked-me-to-kick-your-ass. Not so tough now, are we?" said Remus, smiling. 

Ashley mouthed silently at him like a goldfish. Sirius, Peter, and Aria were doing much of the same thing outside of the door because they had discovered Ashley was a Seer. 

"I let you win. I could've easily beaten you," said Ashley weakly. 

"Bloody HELL, you're a Seer?" Sirius exclaimed as he, Aria, and Peter re-entered the compartment. 

"If you were outside, how did you find out? And what were you guys doing outside anyway, spying on us?" asked Ashley. 

One look from her friends answered her question. 

"What for? What did you think we'd do?" asked Remus, bewildered. 

"Wow, Moony, I'm not even going to answer that. But, seriously, Ash, are you?" asked Sirius, still dazed. 

"Yes," said Ashley, looking her friend in the eye. "But-just don't talk about it to other people. I mean, Dumbledore said it was ok if you guys knew, but-"

"Ash, what do you take us for, gossiping old women who play Bingo once a week?" asked Sirius, smiling. 

Ashley blushed slightly, and Remus could not help but be amazed at how pretty she looked when she was embarrassed. Or how pretty she looked at any time. Aria gazed at each of her friends. She had been silent for the time, debating over whether or not to reveal that she was an Alcantvus.

*_Not here on the train. I'll do it back at Hogwarts. That way I'll only have to explain it once_.* 

"We always knew you were one in a million, Ash," said Remus, smiling. 

Aria exchanged a look that said 'well it's a bout time they started' with Sirius, Ashley smiled and laughed, and no one saw Peter, who was wearing a twisted grin on his face. Suddenly, he couldn't wait for the journey to end, so that he could tell his Master the exciting news. 

The train pulled to a halt at King's Cross Station, and the students slowly filed out of their compartments. Sirius, Remus, Aria, and Ashley cracked up with laughter when Sugarplum Snape passed them huffily, still steaming about his predicament. Peter was nowhere to be found. The four teenagers gathered their trunks and owls from the luggage compartment, and crossed through the barrier of platform 9 and 3/4. At first, they stood still, blinking in the sunlight, and then they heard the calls of their family. 

"Aria! La mia figlia cara, qui! Siamo qui!" (Translation: Aria! My darling daughter, over here! We're here!). 

"Remus! Welcome, son!" 

"Sirius Polaris Black! You just wait until I get my hands on you! What's this I've heard about blowing up a toilet in dungeons?"

"Ashley! Over here, honey!" 

The four took a moment to locate where the calls were coming from. 

"Madre! Padre!" Aria called. "Sarò là in un minuto." (Translation: Mother! Father! I'll be there in a minute). "Bye, guys! Have a happy Christmas! I'll see you in two weeks!" 

She hugged Remus and Ashley goodbye, smiled teasingly at Sirius and began to walk away, but he grabbed her and kissed her. Laughing, she ran off towards her parents. Sirius also said goodbye to Remus and Ashley. 

"Mum! I can honestly say that the toilet incident wasn't my fault! At least, I didn't exactly cast the spell to blow it up!" 

"Bye, Ashley, have a happy Christmas!" said Remus as the two hugged goodbye. 

"You too. Take care of yourself, all right? I know that the moon is on Christmas day," she said, concerned. 

He laughed, a bit self-consciously. 

"Don't worry, Ash. I'll be fine." 

~_Liar. You're going to have a miserable Christmas. Damn it, it's not fair. You deserve better_!~ She sighed. 

"Ok. Bye!" 

She kissed his cheek and ran off towards her parents before he had time to react. 

****

Thanks: 

Clavel: I'm so happy that you remember this fic so well! And Tigger is BACK! Thank you! 

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Caz: LOL! Its all good, I hope he dies too. You can say whatever you like in the review, its your opinion. 

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Shree: Heeheehee, isn't he a sweetheart? Thanks!

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chickensoup3: Aw! Thank you!

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lama: Holy socks, I didn't dream you guys liked this fic that much. Thanks so much! 

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Lupus Argenteus Noctus: *Smiles evilly* Don't get your hopes up, I might draw that out for a loooong time. You never knoooow

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Lady Meriadoc: Thank you!

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mooncancer: Thanks!

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CassieOwls: I like weird. I'm weird. Therefore, me ficcie is weird. Thanks! 

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Lamina Court: I'm a Life Mage! And that had to be the most random review I've ever gotten, but it kept me laughing, so thanks a bunch!

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gwen: Teehee! Thanks!

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mystikalolo: Yo! Yup, Sirius and Aria are together. It is a nice name, isn't it? Just like Hritik! ;-) Catch my drift? 

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PJ: DUDE! You yelled at ME for sending forwards where you hafta put in personal information, and you just pasted my name on the internet!!! Urgh. But anyway, LOL thanks, yes one of 'em finally spoke up!

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Maigon Jesolite: LOL. Yes, someday I shall write a fic with you as Sirius' girlfriend and me with Remus. *drool* 

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Kayla: Wowzers! Thank you so much! 


	15. Christmas Surprises

__

DISCLAIMER: I own Lucan Potter, Ashley, Aria, West, Evan, Mr. Lupin, and Professor Tanner. 

A/N: Omg! Here it is, people, the long awaited JAMES AND LILY KISS! Ta da! *Cheesy soap opera music comes on* Lily's thoughts are in normal italics, * * signals James' thoughts when it's a James-and-Lily-time, and Remus' thoughts when its Remus time. You'll see what I mean. 

Chapter 15: Christmas Surprises

"Bye, Mum, I'm going to the store and I'll be back in a bit!" said Peter, running out the door with his broomstick in hand. 

Before his mother could say a word, he had taken off, and was flying towards his master. Soaring through the air, he couldn't help but hope that his information would earn him power, or even a promotion in status. Dreamily, he imagined Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy, and the other Death Eaters his age answering to him and cowering before him. That would show them. The squawk of an alarmed bird he had almost flown into during his fantasy brought him back to reality with a jolt, and for the remainder of the journey, he concentrated on flying. Half an hour later, he had arrived, and he burst into the front of hall of the black castle, nearly tripping over Nagini. The snake hissed at the boy and snapped its fangs, and he backed away slowly. He heard a cold chuckle in front of him, and peered through the darkness to see where it was coming from. Out of the shadows stepped Lucan, wearing a twisted grin on his face. 

"Don't like snakes, Pettigrew?" the man asked, sick humor in his voice. 

"Well-"

"Why have you come here?" Lucan interrupted. 

"I-I have information for M-master that I believe is of great value," said Peter, trying to sound important and dignified. 

The other Death Eater laughed cruelly. 

"For you, any matter you were informed upon must seem to hold great value. But I will see if He will receive you." 

Peter nodded, and Lucan left the room. He came back a few moments later, and beckoned for the boy to follow him. To his dismay, Nagini decided to join them. The two Death Eaters and the snake entered the room, and the humans bowed respectfully. Peter stared at the floor, fearful of his master. 

"Wormtail," said Voldemort silkily. "Lucan tells me that you have valuable information for me." 

"I d-d-do, My Lord, I-I most certainly do!" Peter exclaimed eagerly. 

"Well get on with it!" his master snapped. 

"Y-yes, My Lord. As you wish, My Lord," Peter muttered, turning red under his hood. "I-I-I-I discovered that Ashling McKinnon is a S-seer, M-my Lord. She herself t-t-told me, and Dumbledore kn-knows." 

The smirks on the faces of the two men vanished, and Voldemort stood before Peter menacingly. 

"Is this a fact, Pettigrew?" 

"Y-y-y-yes, My Lord!" 

"Well done. It seems that you are not completely worthless, are you?" 

"N-n-no, My Lord!" 

"And what of young Potter?" 

"I-I-I heard Sirius and Remus saying that he's s-scared of telling Lily that he loves her b-b-because he doesn't want anything t-to happen to her," said Peter angrily, yet still fearful of his master. 

Voldemort seemed to be amused. 

"It seems your son is much more clever than he seems. He will do well in my service," he said to Lucan. "Pettigrew, what do you think of the precious little wench?" 

Peter's eyes flashed angrily and his face held an expression of disgust. 

"She's a complete tart, that one is. She thinks she's so tough. And everyone loves perfect Lily. She just traipsed in this year, and she's stolen my place! No one can see what a bitch she is!" 

The Dark Lord nodded, sympathetically. 

"The blindness of the world is frustrating is it not? Take comfort in knowing that you have helped to make the world free of demons such as that mudblood!" 

Peter positively swelled with pride, bowed, and left his master. As soon as he had gone, Lucan laughed cruelly. 

"Its almost too easy to make that oaf think what you want him to think." 

"Too true," said the master, stroking Nagini in the way one would stroke a pet dog, and the snake hissed contentedly. "Still, that oaf has brought incredibly good news. The daughter of one of the Ministry's best Aurors is a Seer! We must act fast, to secure her for our side before that crackpot old fool Dumbledore has her." 

"Indeed," said Lucan. "Do you have anything in mind?" 

"No. I need to learn more about her: what and whom she cares for, her fears, and her strengths. Pettigrew will continue to observe her, along with the Alcantvus. Then, Lucan, our fun will begin." 

***

Lily and James sat amid a sea of wrapping paper on Christmas Day in the Gryffindor Common Room. She was wearing a gigantic bow that Sirius had decided to top her present with on her head, and had strewn the ribbons that had incarcerated several boxes in her hair. James had burst into her room that morning and woken her up while jabbering on and on about presents. This had made her cranky and she had grumbled and attempted to go back to sleep, not nearly as excited as he. She was not expecting presents from anyone except West and Evan, and had been speechless and touched when she discovered the small mountain of boxes at the foot of her bed. Of course, she had no time to express her thoughts about them, for James had picked her up out of her bed and ordered her to get showered and changed and be in the Common Room in ten minutes to open presents. This had also left her awestruck, but in a good way. His arms were so strong, so capable. She felt at ease and far away from the hurdles of life when she was in them. Both donned muggle clothes and were enjoying the roaring fire. 

"C'mon, Scrubbing Brush Head, I've given you your present, now where's mine?" 

James smiled teasingly. Irritating Lily was such fun for him, especially because she looked so irresistible when she was upset. 

"I told you already, I didn't buy you anything." 

"That's not funny! Come on, I promise to at least pretend I like it; lord knows you've gotten me some craptacular gift like an itchy sweater or something like that," said Lily. 

James pretended to be hurt. 

"Well if you're going to be like that, I'm not going to give it to you at all!" 

He smiled inwardly, seeing that this obviously distressed her. She now wore a sweet, seductive expression on her face. 

"James, have I ever told you how much I admire your Quidditch skills and Transfiguration talents? Or that I think you're the best prefect Gryffindor has ever seen, in all its years of existence? I've been simply aching to tell you this ever since I set eyes upon you, I just never had the courage to until now." 

She batted her eyes and moved closer to him, only inches away. James fought to keep himself from grabbing her and kissing her as hard as he could. *_Damn, I love her_.* Instead, he smiled charmingly and sympathetically at the same time. He took her hand as well, before she could comprehend what he was doing. Both shivered inwardly at each other's touch. 

"Its ok, Lily, just let it all out. I know how dashing and simply irresistible I am. Its natural to feel this way." 

She groaned. 

"Oh come on, James, please? Where is it? I'll do anything!" 

James grinned slyly at her. 

"Anything?" 

_Oh crap, what does he have in mind_? Before Lily had the chance to answer his question, the portrait hole swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall, along with-

"West?" Lily shrieked, jumping up from her spot on the floor next to James, causing them to let go of each other's hands. "Oh my God! What are you doing here? It's so good to see you!" 

The young man laughed and hugged Lily, as McGongall and James looked on awkwardly. 

"There I was, all by myself on Christmas when Professor Dumbledore sent me an owl asking me to spend the day at Hogwarts. I figured I'd visit himand then _maybe_ come and see you, if I had the time to, with my busy schedule and all." 

Lily laughed happily, and James couldn't help but notice a certain light in her eyes that he had never seen before. *_She seems happier than she has been in a while, and more free than I've ever seen her to be. It's as if something has been missing from her for the past four months, and now she's complete again_.* This made him feel oddly uneasy for some reason.

"Well I'm honored that you had time for me in your busy schedule. Um, I guess you already know Professor McGonagall, and that's my friend James Potter," she introduced. 

"I recognized you from Lily's letters," said West, shaking his hand. 

James smiled and wondered what exactly Lily had written about him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her blush slightly. 

"Well, Minerva, do you think it would be possible for me to take Lily out of school for the day? I promise that I'll bring her back by dinnertime," said West politely. 

"I see no reason why not, as long as Miss Evans has no objections," said the professor, smiling slightly. 

West turned to Lily, his eyes dancing with amusement. 

"Lils, do you have any objections to extracting yourself from Hogwarts for the day?" 

She pretended to look as if she could have cared less, but her eyes gave her away, as they were sparkling. 

"Whatever. If you insist." 

"Excellent. James, would you like to come along?" asked West kindly. 

Though he wanted nothing more than to be with Lily, James knew that she had been dying to see her Headmaster for ages and that he would only be a fifth wheel. *_Or a third one in this case_.* 

"No thanks, I think I'll stay behind," he said. 

"All righty then, we'll be back later." 

With that, Lily and West left the Common Room. 

***

Remus ran a hand through his already tousled brown hair for the umpteenth time and looked out the window. It was quite a picturesque Christmas afternoon. There were fat snowflakes falling softly and steadily upon the already blanketed ground, and the sun was shining faintly. *_Four more hours until moonrise. Only four hours left of sanity_.* He was dreading nightfall, when he would have to be locked up in the tool shed. *_I'll be caged up like a wild animal_.* There was a large, lush, green forest next to the Lupin's residence, but he was not allowed to simply roam free during a transformation, seeing as he would not be able to stop himself from murdering someone or something. Remus never went near the tool shed unless he was transforming. It was filled with memories and remnants of his past transformations, including the first one he had ever endured at the tender age of four. Inside it was stifling and cramped, and the smell of his own, dried blood hung in the air, which he could smell strongly during his transformations due to his heightened senses, which were side affects of the curse. Remus could have easily broken down the walls of the shed with his inhuman strength (another side affect) had it not been for the fact the walls were lined with silverthe one thing he despised more than the moon. It burned him worse than the most scalding fire, stung more than a thousand wasps. But the silver wasn't the only thing that kept him trapped inside of the shed. Remus was trapped inside of his head, while the wolf took over and destroyed the shed while trying to escape in order to taste the fresh blood it coveted for so long. It took an enormous amount of willpower and energy to attempt to control himself during transformations alone, and he was usually drained of energy for a few days after the hellish night ended. *_Its going to be horrible tonight. The wolf knows that Wormtail and Padfoot and Prongs won't be here so it's going to be hungrier for a kill. Looks like its going to be quite a jolly holiday_.* 

"Remus!" his father called, breaking him out of his reverie. "We've got company! Straighten out the living room and put some tea on the stove! I'll get the door." 

*_Who's visiting us? OH DEAR GOD! PLEASE don't let it be Aunt Ingrid! I swear if she brings any more of that disgusting fruit cake I'm going to hurl on her_!* Remus had just taken the kettle off of the stove when his father came into the room with Sirius behind him. His jaw practically dropped to the floor. 

"Hiya, Moony, bet you weren't expecting me!" Sirius greeted his startled friend cheerfully. 

Now Remus was alarmed. 

"Sirius, what are you doing here? The moon's tonight! You can't be here!" 

Sirius raised an eyebrow. 

"Its good to see you too." 

"You know what I mean." 

"Come on, Moony, put two and two together. I'm here because the moon's tonight!" 

Remus still didn't understand, and Sirius sighed exasperatedly. 

"All righty then. Remember how James and Pete and I did a little thing called becoming Animagi for the past, oh, three years? In order to be with you during your transformations so that you could keep your mind a little bit more and so you wouldn't get hurt as much?" 

Now it was Remus' father's turn to look dazed. 

"You boys did what?" 

"We became Animagi. James is a stag, Peter's a rat, and I-" Sirius quickly transformed into Padfoot and back again with a little pop. "-am a dog." 

Mr. Lupin was touched and overwhelmed all at the same time. 

"Sirius," he whispered softly. "You boys did this for my son?" 

"Well yea, we-"

Remus' father, who was thanking and blessing him over and over again, engulfed him in a hug. When they had pulled apart, Sirius smiled awkwardly and shuffled his feet a bit. He had never been comfortable accepting praise, even when he deserved it. 

"Really, Mr. Lupin, it was no problem. It was fun." 

"So what does that have to do with today, Sirius?" asked Remus uncertainly. 

His friend smirked amusedly. 

"You didn't honestly think I was going to let you transform all by yourself, now did you? Come on, Remus, what's the point of becoming an Animagus if I don't use it for what I became one for? James is at Hogwarts, so he can't come, and I tried to get a hold of Peter, but he didn't reply to my owl, so I came." 

Remus was overcome with emotion. The fact that his friends had not deserted him when they learned the truth about him had astounded him and terrified him at the same time. It was almost as if he believed that at any second, they were going to change their minds and desert him, sneer and look down upon him as others had done before them. He had not believed that they would actually go through the trouble of becoming Animagi for him, and when they had, his fears of their desertion had slowly begun to melt away, and his gratitude towards them had increased even more. As a young boy after he had been bitten, he had never even dared to dream about friends who would go to such great lengths for him. 

"Sirius," he said hoarsely, choking on his words. "Y-you have no idea how much this means to me. But are-are you sure you want to spend your Christmas with a werewolf?" 

Anger flared in Sirius' eyes at his friend's question. 

"Don't ever say that again, Remus! You are not just a werewolf! You're one hell of a Quidditch player and we all know that if it wasn't for your damn stupidity about causing the team losses because of missing practice once a month you'd be on the team and I'd be commentating! We all know that you're the best wizard in our year, next to James. We all know that you're the best friend anyone could ever wish for! And don't start up on that 'how am I ever to repay you' crap because I keep telling you that you don't have debts in friendships! Do you hear me?" 

Remus felt as if a thousand weights had been lifted off of his shoulder. He felt stronger, as if he was ready to face the moon as long as Sirius was there with him. 

"Thank you, Padfoot." 

***

Lily and West walked up and down the streets of Hogsmeade, talking and laughing, filling each other in on the happenings at each other's schools. It made her happier than she had been in a while to be with her honorary father, but it also caused a gnawing sensation in her stomach because every moment spent with him reminded her of her leaving Hogwarts at the end of the school year. **_Come on, don't think about that now_**! 

"So what's going to go on between now and the end of the year? There must be a ball; there always is," West said as they passed the Shrieking Shack. 

"Weeell, there's a Valentine's Day Formal in February," said Lily. 

"Oh really? Won't you need a Muggle dress for that?"

"It's not required. I'll wear my robes," Lily replied hastily. _There's no way he's going to pay for a dress for me. I can't do that! It's not worth it anyway. James will probably be going with Josie Saint-Hartford or some other bimbo. He won't care what the hell I wear_. 

"I know what you're thinking, and it's too late because I already bought a dress for you. I wanted to get it to you today, but it wasn't ready yet, so you'll get it the week of the formal. Consider it as a Christmas gift," the Headmaster said. 

"You already gave me a Christmas gift. I won't take your charity! I'll wear my robes!" Lily protested. _West has already done so much for me. I can't let him do this_! 

"Sorry, Lils, it's non-refundable. And its not charity, it's a gift. And not just from me! All of the teachers at Salem pitched in to get it for you. Professor Tanner is even adding some little things to it to make it better. If you don't take it, you'll be insulting the entire staff of Salem," said West, knowing that she would not be able to refuse him now. 

"Finebut as soon as I get my first job I am going to pay you back for it, you can't stop me on that," said Lily begrudgingly. 

"We'll see about that. Who are you going with to this formal, anyway?"

Who was she going to formal with. 

"Nobody," Lily replied, dully. 

She knew exactly who she wanted to take her to formal. _Except the chances of him asking me are about a million to one, what with his fan club of eligible hussies. I don't think he even thinks of me in that way. Damn you Potter, look what you've done to me_! 

West arched an eyebrow at her. 

"Why not?" 

"Come on, you know I don't really go for these kinds of things, Petunia was way more into them. And plus, he hasn't asked me yet-"

"HE? There's a HE? Who is it? What's he like? What are his grades? Does he say please and thank you? What about-"

"There's no he!" Lily hastily tried to cover up her slip. "I meant no one instead of he because there is no he. I don't even like any of the guys at this school in that way. Nope nope nope!" **_Good lord Evans, you need to brush up on your lying skills; you've been out of practice for quite a while. West isn't going to buy that_**. 

"Are you sure? Because if I hear that you've been in a broom closet with some loser jerkoff, you're coming straight home young lady," he warned. 

"Chill out, there is no he," said Lily halfheartedly. _Riiight. Now I've just got to convince myself that_. "And even if there was, what would it matter? I'm coming home in June." 

"Oh, brilliant philosophy there, Lils. Truly excellent," said West sarcastically. "If that's what you really believe, then why did you bother to make friends in the first place? You'll be leaving them too." 

"Yea, I know, but-"

"You're scared of the pain you're going to feel when you have to say goodbye to this young gentleman that you want to have a relationship with when you leave. You know that expression, better safe than sorry? Well in this case that's bull. If you don't even have the relationship, I can guarantee that you will be wondering what your life would have been like if you had had it. Life is about taking risks, Lils! If no one ever took one, then everyone in the world would be a hermit who never left their houses because they were too scared of the world outside. You can't live without risks! They teach you things that you'll never learn any other way. I'll save you the suspense and tell you that there are going to be times in your life when you want to curl up into a ball and die-"

They had now reached the massive, oaken front doors of the castle. 

"I KNOW, West, I know all of this! How do you think I felt when I watched my parents die? How do you think I felt when I barely escaped with my life for stealing something? How do you think I felt when that bastard from my last foster home beat the hell out of Petunia and me? I don't need your damn lecture!" Lily screamed, tears streaming down her face. 

She wasn't angry at West, though. She was angry at the confusion she felt, the frustration of him being so near to her, yet so far away. It hurt more than anything she had felt before. All she wanted was to be held in his arms forever. West merely hugged her tightly, knowing all of what she had said. 

"I know you know, Lils. I know. But you didn't let me finish. There are also going to be times in your life when you're bursting with joy and you're completely happy. Those are the times that you have to remember and focus on! They make life worth living! Those are the risks you have to take. Don't cry, Lily." 

"I c-can't," she said in a slightly muffled voice, breaking into a fresh wave of tears. "I'm-I'm scared." 

Lily had managed to build impenetrable walls around her heart after she had lost her mother, father, and, in a way, Petunia. They kept her from caring too much about people, so that when they were gone, the pain wouldn't wound her as deeply. Somehow, West, Evan, and her friends had managed to squeeze their way into her heart, even though she had tried her best to shut them out. And then there was James. Mere look from him made the walls disintegrate into nothing, which left her exposed and vulnerable. This terrified her more than anything else. 

"Lils, you're one of the strongest, bravest people I know. You're also the most stubborn ass of a student that I've ever taught. And I want you to be happy with all my heart, so I'm just going to tell you one thing: let go of yourself." 

She pulled away and looked up at him, confused, but he only smiled warmly down at her. 

"Take care of yourself, kiddo. I'll see you in June," and he gave her one last hug and walked towards the iron gates. 

She watched him go with a bittersweet sensation in her heart, and then entered the castle. 

James fidgeted nervously as he looked out the window of the Common Room at the full moon, which was high in the sky. He prayed that Remus was doing all right, wherever he was, and that Sirius and Peter were with him so that he wouldn't have to be locked in that awful tool shed. In his hand, he clutched the small box that held Lily's present. *_I hope she likes it. God, I hope she likes it_.* All of a sudden, he heard a noise behind him, and turned to find that Lily had returned. He quickly hid the box behind his back. 

"Hey," he said. "Did you have fun?" 

"Yea. And also no at the same time. It was confusing, but I'm so glad he came," said Lily, sitting on the table across from him. 

"I have something for you," he said, smiling mischievously. He showed her the box. "Its your Christmas present." 

Her eyes lit up with excitement, and he smiled to himself. He loved to make her happy. 

"Oh, thank you so much, James!" She reached for the box, but he pulled it away. 

"Uh uh, you told me that you'd do anything to have it." 

_Uh oh. If I have to kiss Snape in order to get the present, then its really not worth it_. To her surprise, James looked nervous. 

"I was wondering-that is, if you're going, and someone hasn't asked you already-w-would you like to, er, go to the Valentine's Day Formal with me?" 

_YES! SCORE ONE FOR ME_! Lily felt as if she would explode with happiness any second now. James Potter had asked her to the formal. Out of all of the girls at Hogwarts, he had asked her. Not Trewyn (whom he had permanently broken up with once again), not Kyla Varrow, a fourth year who was now turning many a boys' head, but her. _Ok. Now say yes! But don't be too over enthusiastic or else he'll know. But don't be too indifferent either_! **_In other words, don't screw up_**! 

"Sure, I'll go with you," said Lily, willing her voice not to be shaky or high-pitched. 

James grinned happily, and she also smiled, despite herself. 

"All right now, Prongs, may I please have my gift?" 

He gave her the box and she opened it, and gasped. Inside was a beautiful necklace on a simple black cord with a charming, tiny, vivid white lily on it, stem as green as the first grass of spring. He had made it himself, transfiguring a blade of grass, and a splinter of white wood to create the lily, and had agonized over the right charms (it was his worst subject) to make it look right. In the end, he had almost blown it up and had had to go to Professor Flitwick for help, but she need not know about that. Her eyes grew as round as saucers as she tentatively lifted it up and looked at it closely. It was quite simple, but that made it even more beautiful. She didn't know that James had intended it to be that way, to embody his vision of her beauty: simple but breathtaking. 

"James, this is-just-beautiful! I love it!" 

"Really? Do you mean it?" he asked. 

She noticed that he had been tense before she opened it, as if afraid that she wouldn't like it. 

"This is one of the best presents I've ever gotten," she said, smiling happily, and tried to put it on, but was having difficulties. 

"Here, let me do it," he said. 

Lily slid off the table and stood in front of him, and he brushed her fiery red curls away, revealing the ivory skin beneath them. Stealthily, he inhaled the scent of her hair, which smelled of strawberries, and did the clasp. There was a sort of awkward silence between them for a while, as neither would say what their hearts were almost bursting to say. 

"So," said Lily, desperate for conversation, "I heard you broke up with Trewyn." 

__

This is stupid. Of course I heard that! Everyone knows that! 

"Yea, we're over." 

"Why?" Lily asked, and then mentally slapped herself after she realized what she had said. 

**__**

It's none of your business why. You shouldn't pry! James looked at her strangely for a moment, and she reddened slightly but held his gaze. *_I've got to tell her. I'll never let anything happen to her because of me. It's now or never_!* 

"Because I'm madly in love with someone else," he said softly. 

Lily felt her heart drop into her stomach. 

"O-oh," she stammered, and stared at the ground. 

*_Oook, she's not picking up on this. Well, I might as well have some fun with it_!* 

"Yea. She's amazing! She's brilliant, and funny, and beautiful, and.just perfect! I've never felt this way about anyone else before. I can't sleep at nights sometimes because I keep thinking of her. And her eyes! I've never seen anything like them! I get lost in them every time I look at her. Her hair is like silk, and it's the most beautiful shade of red I've ever seen. I love her personality as well; she doesn't take any crap from anyone, and she's so defensive of people who can't stand up for themselves. And she doesn't worship me! She's really sweet, and she's a phenomenal prankster and Beater. I really admire her and I can't stand being apart from her," said James, reiterating everything that he had been thinking about Lily since the moment he saw her. 

Lily, however, was oblivious to the fact that James was talking about her, and she felt as if every word he had spoken about this girl was a knife that was stabbing her heart. Tears of shame and remorse welled up in her eyes, but she fought for them not to fall. _How could I be so damn stupid to even THINK that he would care about me like that_? **_Well I tried to warn you that this would happen, but you never listened! I told you not to fall in love, it only brings pain and weakness! Look what you're left with now_**! 

"Oh," she said again, concentrating on not letting her voice break and not bursting into tears. "W-well that's great for you, James, I hope you two are really happy together." 

She couldn't look at him. She knew if she did she'd only cry, and by Tigger almighty, she would NOT cry in front of him. Lily could almost feel the walls reforming around the ruins of her heart, beginning to block him out once more. She turned to leave, but he caught her hand and pulled her close. 

"There's something I wanted to ask you, Lils," he whispered. "I don't think she knows how much I love her. What should I do?" 

__

Insensitive jerk! How can he ask me that? All right, Potter, here's what you should do: go to hell and stay there! **_Its your fault, Lily, you know how he is with girls! Why did you fall for HIM_**? Lily took a deep breath and looked at him, her body practically on fire from being so close to his. She put on a false smile. 

"Just tell her what you told me. Go for it." 

Lily pushed him away gently and turned to leave once more, but yet again, James caught her, pulled her inand kissed her. 

At first all she could think about were his lips on hers. They were soft and capable, and for the first few moments she just stood there in shock and let him kiss her before she kissed back. She felt her heart beat so fast that she thought it would burst. Lily sighed against his lips before her senses came back to her, and then she began to wonder. Why was he kissing her when he was in love with the other girl? Reluctantly, she pulled away. Lily opened her mouth to speak, but then realized that she had not regained the ability to function properly due to James' spectacular kissing abilities, so she made noise that must have been between a grunt and a huh. James seemed to have recovered more quickly, and couldn't help but laugh. 

"Goodness, Tigger, we are slow today, aren't we?" 

Lily was now back in senses. 

"Huh?" 

James stroked her face gently and looked her in the eye. 

"Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm in love with you. I was talking about you just now, there's no one else. There never can be anyone else for me but you." 

Tears ran down her face as he said this. She felt relieved, blissful, and surreal. He brushed her tears away and hugged her, and she cried some more on his shoulder. 

"Shh, Lils, why are you crying? Was it something I said?" 

"God damn you, James Potter, do you know what you just put me through?! I thought you were in love with some other girl!" 

He smiled at her furious countenance. 

"You look so cute when you're angry." 

"James, I'm serious! How could you-"

But she never finished her sentence because James was kissing her once more. Though she didn't want to stop, Lily pulled away and looked at him seriously. 

"I'm not going to be one of those bimbos who worship the ground you walk on. If you're looking for that then we should stop this now. And if you're just doing this to add another notch onto your bedpost, then forget it-"

"Lily! Don't you see? I love you because you _don't _idolize me and fantasize over me!" James said with sincerity, but then his serious face melted into one of mischief. "_Do_ you fantasize over me?" 

Lily smiled secretively. 

"Maybe" 

"Do you?" he pestered. "I want-" 

James was cut off, for Lily had kissed him. As she let go of herself and he kissed her back deeply, he smiled at her touch, and decided that this was definitely one of the happiest days of his life. 

****

Thank Yous:

Kayla- Wow! That much? Thanks! **Rachel Lewis**- Thank you! **Crystal**- LoL! Thanks! **Clavel**- Who doesn't hate Rat-boy. I've always imagined Sirius as a tough guy player who's really a teddy bear at heart. LoL, I started cracking up myself when I pictured Snape with a tutu and an afrobut then it turned into a bad image. Aww, that thing you wrote on love was so sweet! **twinangels**- I'm starting to worry that my story is so predictable, seeing how so many people including you can predict my next move. I ought to do something drastic. Hmmm **RvnclwPrincess**- Here ya go! **The Elfin Child**- Thank you! **Caz**- Heeheehee. Maybe **Lupus Argenteus Noctus**- Who says that Lily's going to stay? *Grins evilly* ** BookCrazee68**- Teeheehee thank youCINDY! LoL jk jkROWLING! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ok now I promise I'm done. ** Atlantis Forester**- Awwwthanx! ** Shree**- LoL thanks! ** mystikalolo**- Yupyupyup, I'm thinking that in the next chapter they will. Winnie the Pooh ROCKS!!! ** Lady Meriadoc**- *Blushes like a tomato* Thank you, you're so nice! ** Maigon Jesolite**- Thank you! I'll try to remember to check your fic out! ** Lamina Court**- LoL. Thanks! ** PJ**- Aww you're a sweetie pie (please don't kill me for saying that). Thank you. ** Gaverosh Makino**- I made James a Prefect because it says he was Head Boy in the book. Why doesn't Peter have a girlfriend? Because I hate him and I wish that he had gotten stepped on or eaten by a hawk the night he escaped in the third book. Everyone is calling Lily "Lils" becausewell think about it: Lil is short for Lily, but Lil sounds funny, so its Lils. Oh and I like Tigger, so that explains that one. Thanks for reviewing! ** Scarlett*Eyes**- Thank you! ** someone's me**- Wow, thank you so much! ** MandaB**- Thanks! ** Princess Sammiii**- Here's more L/J! ** Amanda**- Thank you! ** victoria**- Thank you so much for the excellent pointers. I tried to make the flashback as heart-wrenching as possible, but I guess I'll need more. I hope the rest of the story was better! ** cabge**- I haven't abandoned, the story, here's more! ** An**- Thank you! ** Nancy**- Thanks a lot! ** Anna Marie**- I hardly think I haven't written in eight months, but whatever. Thank you! ** wummibum**- Thank you, I know I'm slow, sorry! ** Jellybean**- Ooooh ok gotcha! I'll keep reading your fic! LoL thank you for all of your reviews! 


	16. Love and Loss

__

DISCLAIMER: I own Ashley, Aria, Rhys Davies, Trewyn, and Ebony. 

A/N: Here it is, finally! I've already started on the next chappie so HOPEFULLY it'll be up in no time. I was wonderingshould I continue this fic after OOTP comes out? Because we're going to find out a lot about Lily and James, so it might be confusing to read that and then read this again. Oh well, tell me what you think in the reviews! Remus' thoughts are between * *s and Ashley's are ~ ~s. 

Chapter 16: Love and Loss

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How long will I be waiting? 

Until the end of time

I don't know why I'm still waiting

I can't make you mine

Heartbreaker

I'm addicted to you

~* "Addicted" by Simple Plan *~

A few days later, the Christmas Holidays ended and the rest of the students returned to Hogwarts. Lily and James had met Sirius, Remus, Peter, Ashley, and Aria at the station in Hogsmeade, and the seven had walked back to the castle together, filling each other in on what had happened during their time apart. Lily and James had decided not to tell their friends straight out that they were together. They wanted to see how long it took them to figure it out, and, to their surprise, it wasn't until a week after the five had returned that they were discovered. Aria had come down to the Common Room one night to retrieve a book she had forgotten, and found her two friends snogging quite passionately before the fire. For a few moments, the girl had merely stood in disbelief, but then shrieked delightedly when she came back to her senses. This startled Lily so much that she had accidentally bit the inside of James' lip. 

"OW! Lily you've got really sharp teeth, did you know that?" James groaned. 

"Aria what was that for?" Lily asked, annoyed and breathless. 

Her friend simply looked at her with an enormous grin on her face. 

"OY! Ash! Sirius! Remus! You guys! GUESS WHAT!" she screamed, and promptly ran back up the girl's staircase. A few seconds later, another squeal was heard, followed by Aria and Ashley stampeding down the girl's stairs and up the boy's. James looked at Lily in amusement. 

"If Sirius and Remus scream or squeal I'll never let them live it down." Thankfully, the two boys did not screech as the girls had, but laughed so loud that it could be heard in the common room and a few seconds later, Remus, Sirius, Ashley, Peter, and Aria were standing in the common room, looking proudly at their two friends. Lily found all of the attention quite unnecessary and buried her face into James' chest, while he seemed to be a cross between amused and embarrassed. 

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Ashley, as the five settled down around the couple. 

"It was funnier this way," Lily explained. "We wanted to see how long it would take before you guys figured this out, and I've got to say that it took you long enough!" 

"How? When?" asked a grinning Sirius. 

"Well, Lils here found it simply too hard to keep her feelings in any longer-" James was stopped by Lily hitting him. 

"Yea right! That was you!" 

"Ha! Prongs cracked first! You owe me ten galleons, Sirius," said Remus as he held his palm outstretched. 

Sirius made a face and grudgingly handed his friend the money. 

"Anyway, as you were saying?" said Remus after he had wrenched the galleons from Sirius' fist. 

"We were talking about how he and Trewyn broke up and I asked him why and he told me it was because he was in love with someone else. He went on and on and on describing this girl. How was I supposed to know that it was me?" 

James smiled sympathetically and patted her on the head. 

"My slow little Tigger," he said, but quickly stopped because Lily was giving him a very withering look. "Er-I mean precious, beautiful, intelligent Lily!" 

"Much better," said Lily as she resumed resting her head on his shoulder. "Sowe told you guys our little secret. Anyone got one of their own to share?" 

Aria cleared her throat self-consciously and quickly looked around the common room to make sure it was completely deserted. 

"Aria! What have you been hiding up your sleeve from us?" asked Ashley. 

Her friend smiled weakly. 

"WellI-I don't suppose you remember the first Quidditch match of the season? When I, um, disappeared?" 

"Of course we remember. Everyone who was there remembers," said Sirius. 

"Oh," Aria faltered, and then began again. "I did that because I'm an Alcantvus." 

She was met with blank and utterly confused stares after her statement. 

"You're a whatsits?" asked Lily. 

"An Alcantvus," Aria explained. "The Alcantvi were-are-oh I don't know. All I know is that I'm a descendent of an ancient race of magical people that have some-er-different abilities than normal witches and wizards. Apparently, I didn't Apparate when I disappeared, but I Shimmered, and that's the sign of an Alcantvus." 

Aria looked intently at Sirius while she said this, silently begging him with her eyes to understand and not thing that she was odd for who she was. To her amazement, he replied with: 

"I have the coolest girlfriend ever!" 

Clearly, she was confused. 

"So-so you don't think that it's freaky? That I-I'm different?" 

Sirius kissed her lovingly. 

"Does that answer your question?" 

Aria laughed happily along with the others, relieved. She had almost been scared that Sirius would think she was some sort of freak of nature or something like that, but she ought to have known that he never would. 

***

On the first of February, Ashley tapped her wand frequently against the wooden table she shared with Lily in double Charms with the Slytherins. She was frustrated with herself and worried about something that she had never even cared about before. What in the name of Snitches was she going to do about the Formal? It wasn't the buying of her dress, or any other cosmetic matter that was bothering her, but the matter of a date. Ashley had never considered herself to be a stunning beauty that she thought of her best friends as. She was dead wrong however because she was quite a jaw-dropped, what with her large amber eyes and chestnut hair, yet this fact was not apparent to her. True, a few boys had already asked her, which had caught her rather off guard. She had said that she would think about it, but inside she knew that if _he _didn't ask her to the Formal, she wouldn't go with anyone. Ashley bit her lip in frustration, and smacked her wand so vigorously against the smooth, wooden table that red sparks shot out from the tip. 

"Miss McKinnon, will you please stop tapping your wand? If you are eager to begin with the practical part of the lesson, then I assure you that the time will arrive sooner if you are patient," Professor Flitwick reprimanded, slightly annoyed. 

Ashley's cheeks turned crimson and she muttered an apology. Lily raised an eyebrow at her, which she responded to by shrugging. She concentrated on listening to Flitwick. This made her miss the smile that was on Remus' face, which was there because of her. To her surprise, though, she discovered that Professor McGonagall was also in the classroom. ~_Umdoes McGongall know that she's in the wrong classroom or did she just drink a Forgetfulness Potion this morning along with her Pumpkin juice_?~ 

"Now, I am certain that you all are very excited for the upcoming St. Valentine's Day Muggle Formal on the fourteenth of this month. As you know, Muggle attire is not required, and you are more than welcome to wear dress robes if you choose to. However, a point for good spirit in school festivities shall be given to each person that arrives dressed in Muggle clothing," the tiny professor squeaked excitedly. 

~_Nice try, but I doubt that any of the Slytherins would ever be caught dead in Muggle clothes, not even for House points_.~ 

"Obviously, practically of you would need to buy these clothes. Seeing as there are no Muggle shops in Hogsmeade, they would have to be ordered by your parents and sent to you by owl mail. This would take a lot of time and cause confusion, so Professor Dumbledore has consented in allowing us to have a joint Charms-Transfiguration-Muggle Studies project in which you create your own gown or suit," said McGongall. 

Ecstatic whispers flew across the room as the students expressed their delight-or in some poor souls' cases like Lily's, absolute horror- in the project. Ashley turned to grin at Lily, but stopped when she saw the expression on her friend's face. 

"Lils, what's wrong?" 

"I've already got my dress! What'll I do?" Lily wailed. 

"Gee whiz, Lily, why are you complaining? You don't have to do any work!" Ashley reassured. "And, you know I love you and all, but it's probably a blessing in disguise this way because you can't transfigure something to save your life!" 

"WellI guess that is true," said Lily hesitantly. "Remember when I accidentally blew up the cauldron we were transfiguring yesterday? And poor Remus got soot all over his face!" 

Ashley couldn't help but smile at the memory. The expression on his face had been absolutely priceless. ~_And he looked delicious with soot all over his face. Heeheehee_.~ She shook herself mentally after this thought. ~_Good lord, I have got to stop doing that_.~ 

"I remember, Tigger," Remus called out from behind them. "That soot took _ages_ to get off!" 

James, Sirius, Aria, Ashley, and Peter snickered. Lily wore a mischievous expression upon her face and turned to Ashley. 

"Well of course _you_ remember." Ashley simply smiled and turned away. 

McGonagall and Flitwick were both trying to restore order, so the class slowly quieted down. 

"Now, if you choose to wear wizarding dress robes or you have already purchased Muggle clothing, you are still required to create clothing. Madame Toula has been kind enough to offer to display them in her classroom, and some clothes shall be donated to the Understanding Muggles Wizarding Museum. You may either design your suit or gown yourself or copy a design. These must be completed by the eleventh of February so that Professor McGongall, Madame Toula, and I are able to evaluate them," Professor Flitwick announced. 

"Now, although this will take quite a bit of time-" McGongall began, but she was interrupted by Snape. 

"Why are we being made to learn dressmaking when there are more necessary skills to be taught? If Dark Wizards ever corner us, how on earth are we going to use our dressmaking abilities to save our lives? And for goodness sake, we have O.W.Ls this year!" 

The room was completely silent, and all eyes were on the two professors at the front of the room. Lucius Malfoy and the other Slytherins were muttering encouragement to Severus for putting the teachers on the spot. Some were trying hard not to laugh. McGongall's eyes flashed angrily. 

"If you had allowed me to continue, Mr. Snape," she said icily, "you would have learned the answer to your question. The creation of your Muggle formalwear is to be done only outside of class. This session and today's Transfiguration class is the only class time that shall be given to you as work time for the project. Your regular lessons shall be resumed for teaching tomorrow. You may come to Professor Flitwick, Madame Toula, or myself if you need help. Does that answer your question?" 

Snape smirked and nodded. The Gryffindors were glaring daggers at the Slytherins for their impudence towards their head of House, and the latter only leered back. Though she was possibly the strictest teacher in the school, all of the Gryffindors had respect for McGongall because she was always fair. 

"Splendid! Now get to work, for there is no time to diddle or daddle!" exclaimed Flitwick cheerily. 

"Those slimy gits are going to pay for that," muttered Sirius angrily. 

"Definitely," seethed James. "Any ideas, Padfoot?" 

"I'm working on it," said Sirius, staring at a blank piece of parchment. "Remus?" 

Remus was already wearing the trademark grin of a Marauder. 

"Yup, I've got a plan." 

The three other boys leaned in, along with the girls. 

"If you lot are going to prank those jerks tonight then we're coming as well," said Ashley determinedly. 

"We're not gonna miss a chance to put those snakes in their place," Lily added angrily. Suddenly, her face brightened. "Hey you guys, that rhymed! Snakes and place!" 

Six faces clearly displaying that they thought she was completely insane met her delighted countenance. Lily scowled and slumped back in her chair. 

"Don't give me that look, you know I'm right. Gee whiz, no one appreciates my brilliance around here." 

"Yeswell, er, Remus, what's this plan you say you have?" asked Aria. "Psst, Ash, I think we need to get out the old straight jacket again for her. Do you remember the way to the room with the padded walls?" 

"Indeed I do, fellow psychiatrist," Ashley replied solemnly. "We ought to escort this poor moron there as soon as possible." 

"You guys are mean," Lily pouted, and she moved her chair closer to James. "At least he doesn't talk about me like I'm not here." 

James inched away from the redhead. 

"How's about you sit there and I'll sit here by the sane people? And when you three are done with your little fantasy, we'll think about associating ourselves with you in public again. What do you say, mates?" 

"Agreed," said Remus, Sirius, and Peter. 

"Now about my plan-" Remus began. 

"We're done, we're done!" the three girls exclaimed, and all thoughts of straight jackets were dismissed while Remus explained his plan of revenge. While he talked, Ashley couldn't help but notice how dazzling his grey eyes were and how they sparkled when he talked. Or the way his silver and brown hair fell in his face. She longed to reach up (he was six foot three inches tall while she was but five foot eleven inches) and brush the stray strands away. She must have almost started to, but thankfully Lily caught her and kicked her-right in the shins. Ashley yowled in pain and earned five surprised and confused looks in return, but she didn't notice because she giving Lily a half-angry and half-thankful look. 

"All right, is everyone clear then? We'll meet in the common room at eleven because it'll be slow going with all seven of us under the Cloak. And try to keep sane until then," said James pointedly. 

Three innocent-looking faces met him. 

"Us?" 

"Noi?" 

"Wir?" 

"Yes!" 

"Messrs. Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, Miss Evans, Miss Gratzki, and Miss McKinnon, ten points from Gryffindor for not using your work time! The fourteenth is not far away, you know!" McGonagall scolded. 

James turned back to his friends with a look of disbelief on his face. 

"Remind me again why we are bothering to avenge her tonight?" 

Ashley had been delighted when the professors had announced the dressmaking assignment in the morning, and after being told off for talking and not using time wisely, she set to work. She had been in a pensive mood all day long, trying to think of a dress design. Many of the fifth years, Lily and Aria included, chose to simply copy a design based off of a dress in one of the muggle catalogues Madame Toula had brought in for the students to look at, but Ashley refused to do so. Therefor, she had been chewing a particularly tough piece of a roll during dinner when the idea finally came to her. She had leapt from the table, (practically choking on the roll in the process), and had dashed out of the Great Hall, ignoring the strange looks she received from people. Once in the girls' dormitory, she had snatched her drawing pad and a pencil (quills were an artist's nightmare, they were dreadful when it came to drawing certain thickness' of lines) and ran back down to the common room to sketch. 

The other Gryffindors returned from dinner a while later, and Lily and Aria had brought her some food from the kitchens to keep her from being hungry while she was working. Her friends left her alone, knowing from experience that she did not want to be disturbed while on a roll. For hours Ashley sat, not moving a muscle except to move the pencil. There was a sea of crumpled up pieces of parchment on the floor beneath her when she was finally finished. She threw down her pencil and stretched, for her muscles were completely cramped after sitting in one position for so long. As she studied her work, Ashley had to admit that she had done a wonderful job. 

The gown would be long, down to her feet, and it would be a sort of golden color that would go nicely with her hair and eyes. It would not flare out at the bottom, and would have roses the same color as the dress itself on it going down diagonally, with dark gold lines separating the rows of roses. It would have spaghetti straps, and the neckline would be pulled and held down at the middle by a ring of the same fabric as the dress, causing it to bunch up. (A/N: I'm sorry if this dress sounds like the ugliest thing that hit the planet, but I saw it in a magazine and I'm trying my best to describe it sojust trust me its not as hideous as it seems!)

"Yes indeed, Ash, you've quite outdone yourself," Ashley told herself proudly. 

Someone very close behind her laughed, and she whirled around, startled. To her relief, she found Remus leaning over the sofa. She smiled, and he sat down next to her. 

"Have you finished your gown already?" he asked. 

"Yup," she said eloquently. 

"Can I see it?" 

Ashley smiled secretively. 

"No. You'll just have to wait until the Formal and see, like everyone else!" 

Remus smiled nervously. *_Come on! If you don't ask her soon, some shmuck will ask her and then you'll lose her_!* He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, those beautiful eyes that he could get lost in for hours if he ever had the chance to. 

"Er, Ashley, about the Formal, um, I was, uh, wondering-" 

Ashley couldn't believe her luck. As Remus fumbled on, her heart beat quickly with anticipation, and she hoped with all her heart that he was about to ask her what she thought he was about to ask her. 

"-if, I mean, if you're not-" 

"Hello, Moony and Ashley!" Sirius' voice came out of nowhere. 

Remus stopped talking, and Ashley felt sick with disappointment. ~_Damn Sirius and his bad timing_!~ *_Brilliant, Remus. Why didn't you just ask her straight out? Who knows when you'll get the chance to ask again? However, it could be a sign that I shouldn't bother. She deserves the best date to Formal that there is. I highly doubt that would be a werewolf_.* 

"Did you finish?" asked Aria. 

"Yea." 

"Oooh, can we see?" Lily asked, bounding over the couch and wedging herself between Remus and Ashley. 

"No, wait till Formal like everyone else," Ashley responded dully. 

"Are you all right? You seem very quiet and lifeless andnot Ashley-ish," James asked. 

"I'm fine. We'd better get going. Not much time, you know," said Ashley, and she began to check off the supplies. 

"Potion?" 

"Check." 

"Cloak?"

"Check." 

"Sleeping pills in case we run into Mrs. Norris?" 

"Double check."

"Spells?"

"Check." 

"Ok, I think we're all set then," said Ashley. 

As soon as they had left the common room, Lily cast an Expanding Charm upon the cloak and James flung it over the seven teens. Slowly, they began a tedious trek to the dungeons, where the Slytherins stayed. Although it was difficult going since it was completely dark, they knew the way to their destination like the back of their hands and eventually after an hour of stepping on toes and running into each other (and walls), the Gryffindors made it to the dungeons. Sirius said the password to a statue of a large snake poised to strike. Its jaw dropped to admit the group in, and they stepped inside the freezing stone room. 

With expert and practiced ease the seven silently ran up the stone staircase till they came to a door marked Fifth Year Slytherin Boys' Dormitory. They found Snape, Malfoy, Lestrange, Avery, Nott, Rosier, and Travers sleeping -snoring, rather- peacefully. Remus carefully distributed the potion evenly into seven six other vials, and each Marauder or girl poured it onto one of the sleeping boys, muttering spells in the process. Holding back laughter, they dove under the cloak and went back to Gryffindor Tower. 

The next morning in the Great Hall, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily, Ashley, and Aria were almost bursting with anticipation for the Slytherin boys to arrive. When they did, the seven Gryffindors fairly leapt out of their seats to talk to the unpleasant looking group. 

"Good morning, Snape, isn't it a lovely day?" asked James with laughter in his voice. 

"Professor McGonagall is the best teacher ever!" Snape sneered. 

As soon as the words left his mouth, he looked horrified, as did his friends. 

"Gryffindors are the best?" asked Malfoy. 

"Why thank you, Lucius," said Sirius, who was practically shaking with laughter.

Lestrange lunged at him while shouting. 

"Gryffindor will win the House Cup!" 

"Slytherins are scum?" 

"Professor McGongall is the greatest!" 

"Lions for the Quidditch Cup!" 

"We apologize for our stupidity yesterday!" 

By this time, the Great Hall had noticed the assembly of the Gryffindors and Slytherins and were crowding around to see what the ruckus was. The seven Slytherins were also beginning to realize that they could not say anything except what they had said before. McGongall also made her way over. 

"POTTER, BLACK, LUPIN, PETTIGREW, EVANS, GRATZKI, AND MCKINNON!" 

"Yes, Professor?" asked the friends answered innocently. 

McGonagall sighed inwardly and turned to the Slytherins, who were jabbering the same things over and over quite loudly. Then she looked back at the guilty party. 

"I see that you have given these boys a potion to make them repeat only one sentence. Well undo it!" 

"We can't, Professor, it's a twenty-four hour potion. They'rewell, stuck like that until tomorrow!" said Peter. 

The professor simply looked at the seven in disbelief. 

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor and detention." 

The days leading up to the ball began to pass away quicker, and Lily and Aria noticed that Ashley seemed to become more and more downhearted each passing day. Finally, on the day that their friend had said that she would rather do homework then play Quidditch, the two girls decided to take action. They had left Ashley in the dorm room under the care of a fellow fifth year and had bolted into the boys' room. Needless to say, the four were quite surprised. 

"Er, not that I mind, but what are you two doing here?" asked Sirius. 

Lily and Aria ignored him and instead sat down in front of Remus. 

"Good lord, can you be any more blind?" asked Lily. 

Remus shot a questioning look at his male friends, who shrugged in confusion. 

"What-"

"Seriously, Remus, if you can't see what's right in front of you then I'm worried about you," said Aria. 

Remus fought to keep a blank look on his face, though he knew what they were talking about. Unfortunately, he went pale instead. 

"There ya go," said Lily, as if she were talking to a three-year-old. 

"But-"

"No buts!" Sirius exclaimed. "We all know that you like her." 

"What's stopping you?" asked James. 

"You wont' want to hear." 

"May I ask why?" Lily prodded. 

Remus simply walked to the window and gazed across the grounds. He stood there for a while, and the other four waited patiently until James finally spoke. 

"Come off it, Remus, that's biggest pile of shit that's ever left your mouth." 

Lily gave her boyfriend a questioning look, and when she received no response, she turned to Aria, who seemed to be more informed than she. 

"Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember Remus saying anything," Lily whispered. 

Aria smiled sadly and whispered back. 

"He doesn't think he deserves her." 

"Oh good lord, Remus! It doesn't matter if you don't think you're good enough for her; she thinks you're an ice cream sundae with TWO cherries on top, and Ash doesn't think that of just anyone," Lily exclaimed earnestly. 

Five heads did a double take at her, and ten eyes gave her befuddled looks, which she ignored. 

"ErI-I might have worded it differently, but Lily basically just said the truth there," said Sirius, edging away from the red-haired girl. 

"I told you that you wouldn't want to hear it," said Remus, irritated. 

"Moony, she, of all people, doesn't give a rat's ass-no offense, Pete- about the fact that you happen to transform into a wolf once a month! None of us do!" James said. 

"Can't you see that she likes you besides all of that?" Aria asked softly. 

"If that's true, then why isn't she telling me this instead of you lot?" asked Remus. 

"Remus, you stubborn imbecile, do you know our Ashley at all?" Sirius roared. "She's always been terrified of confessing her feelings to the boys she likes!" 

"Its up to you," said Lily. 

Remus was quiet for a few minutes and held his head in his hands. He wanted nothing more than to be with Ashley, to hold her and to kiss her. She had always made his heart skip a beat, and he cherished every smile she sent his way. The only problem was that he still wasn't sure of how she felt about him. *_The only way to find out is to ask her_.* He looked back up at his friends, who were waiting patiently for him to speak. 

"Where is she?" 

Remus stood in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch, watching her soar higher and higher into the air. The weather outside was pleasant, but it was still quite cold. It was twilight, and the sky was a mysterious navy blue color. She was chasing a tennis ball charmed to act like a Snitch; probably practicing for the next big game, which was against Slytherin a week after the Formal. He had no broom, or else he would have gone up after her, so he opted for shouting instead. 

"OY! ASH!" 

Ashley stopped in mid air when she heard her name being called and scanned the ground below for the person the voice belonged to. She dove down and landed gracefully, but when she saw _him_ standing there, her heart dropped into her stomach and she wished she had stayed in the air. ~_SHIT, what am I going to tell him_?~ 

"Hi," she said shakily. 

He smiled at her, and she felt her legs turn to jelly. ~_Please, please, please don't make this harder, Remus_.~ 

"Ashley, I-I was wondering, um, if you're not already going with someone, er, w-would you like to go to the Formal with me?" 

Her heart felt as if it would shatter into a million pieces when he asked her the question, the one question she had longed to hear but stupidly had been too impatient to wait for. She couldn't bear to look into his eyes, those lovely eyes that she adored so much. 

"Remus," she whispered, barely audibly. "I-I'm so happy that you asked me, but-but I've already agreed to-to go with Rhys Davies." 

The words echoed throughout Remus' head and pierced his heart as if each were a dagger. The cold air seemed to grow chillier every second. She would not go to the Formal with him. Ashley, his beloved Ashley, was going to the Formal with the Ravenclaw Prefect Rhys Davies. He had been too late. She finally looked up at him, and was clearly fighting back tears that she did not want him to see, so he quickly forced a smile onto his face, even though it took enormous effort to do so. 

"Oh," was all that he could utter at first. 

"I-I-I'm really sorry-" she began, but Remus cut her off. 

"No, Ash, no, don't be sorry, I was just-just wondering, that's all." 

Ashley bit her lip and nodded furiously. ~_HOW COULD I SAY YES TO DAVIES? What possessed me to do that? Now he'll never know how I feelhe'll never care to know! And who blames him_?~ Remus could tell that she was obviously distressed, so he hugged her tightly. Ashley relaxed in his arms and longed to rest her head on his shoulder, and she longed to be able to stay there forever. But, she knew that was not an option. She pulled away and put on a smile for him. He returned the smile, and began to walk back to the castle, but then stopped and came back. 

"Ashley?" 

"Yes?" 

He looked at her for a moment before speaking again. Her brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, and some loose strands were framing her heart-shaped face. Fat snowflakes were settling on the top of her head, and she was wearing her school robes, a black cloak, and, for some reason, a pink, yellow, green, and blue striped scarf, which was also being blown by the wind. 

"Will you save a dance for me?" 

The tears she had been fighting to hold inside almost spilled out of her amber orbs, but she forced them to stay in. She smiled a false and bright smile, and because she feared that if she opened her mouth she might spill the secrets her heart had been hiding from him for five years, she simply nodded. He nodded back, and returned to the castle. And, after she was sure that he was inside and that she would not run into him, she trudged back to the castle through the snow. 

Remus stormed into the common room to find James, Sirius, and Peter huddled over something before the fire. Lily and Aria were practically hidden behind a mountain of books, and were writing essays for some class or the other. When the boys looked up to find that Remus had returned, they smiled and looked at him expectantly. 

"Well?" Sirius demanded. 

"Did you ask her?" James asked. 

"What did she say?" Peter inquired. 

Remus was practically seething with anger, and his heart was in torment and agony. He fought to keep his voice calm when he replied, but it still shook, despite his efforts. 

"The next time that you genius' have the urge to tell me to do something, save your god damn breath!" 

The entire common room fell silent, for no one had ever seen Remus loose his temper. He was always the calm one, who kept James and Sirius in line when they became too wild or too angry. More importantly, no one had ever seen a Marauder become angry with one of their fellow comrades. Remus raged up the stairs and slammed the dormitory room door. 

Lily and Aria looked at each other, and both could have been knocked over with a feather. They walked over to the fire, and found James mouthing wordlessly and Sirius staring sadly at the staircase. Just then, Ashley came in quietly through the portrait hole, brushing away tears from her already stained face. 

"Ash?" Aria said softly. "What happened?" 

Ashley collapsed onto the couch. She buried her face into a pillow and began to sob. 

"Oh, Ash, come on, don't cry, come on let's go to the room and we'll talk ok?" Lily soothed the hysterical girl. 

Ashley nodded and allowed her two friends to lead her up the stairs and into the dormitory room, with James, Sirius, and Peter at their heels. The girls arrived first to find Trewyn and Ebony already there. Ashley curled up on her bed while Aria smoothed her hair, and Lily faced the two girls. 

"Well, well, well, if it's not the three dregs of society: the freak who actually thought she had a chance with Amos, who is now, by the way, happily satisfied by me these days, and the poor little bookworm who can't keep a man for more than a week. And then there is the wench who stole my last boyfriend because she would never have been able to get her filthy hands on Potter any other way," said Trewyn icily. 

The three boys had entered the room while Trewyn was making her speech, but she did not notice them until James stepped forward, put his arms around Lily, and kissed the top of her head. 

"Would you care to repeat that, Trewyn?" James asked politely. 

The girl froze at the sight of James, Sirius, and Peter. 

"I-I-" 

Lily gently unwrapped James' arms from around her waist and walked up to her enemy. 

"You know, Trewyn, I bet Amos wouldn't be so eager to be "satisfied" by you if you had a broken nose and two black eyes." 

Trewyn gave Lily a look of pure venom, but she and Ebony left the room. As soon as they were gone, Lily returned to her heartbroken friend, who was only sobbing every so often now. She, Sirius, James, and Peter sat around her on the bed. 

"Ash, what happened?" Aria questioned in a soothing voice. "You can tell us now, there's no one here." 

"I'm the biggest idiot that ever walked the earth, that's what!" Ashley wailed. "I was waiting for Remus to ask me to the Formal for the longest time, waiting and waiting. I was being so patient, I kept telling myself that any day now, he would ask me. But the days kept going by and he didn't ask, so I began to think that-that he didn't feel the same way about me. So when Rhys Davies asked me to the Formal after dinner, I-I-I said yes because I didn't think that R-Remus would ever ask me! And then today, when I was practicing Quidditch, for goodness sake, he asked me to the Formal! I had been waiting for so longand then I had to t-t-tell him I couldn't go with him! God, did you see his eyes? I couldn't even look at him until the end!" 

Ashley was now hugging her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth, and sobbing once more. Aria hugged her, and Lily rubbed her back. 

"Its ok, Ash, its ok. You're all right," Lily said softly, trying to soothe her poor friend. 

"Ashley, its not your fault," said Sirius. 

"You couldn't have known," James comforted. 

"Thanks, you guys," she whispered. 

"Don't worry, leave everything to us. You're Formal isn't ruined yet, not while Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew are alive and flying high," said Sirius, springing up from the bed. "Come along, Prongs and Wormtail!" 

Sirius kissed the top of her head quickly, as did James, and then the three boys left Lily and Aria to console the now silently weeping girl. They ran into their own dormitory room, where Remus was lying on his back on his bed. 

"Remus, we-" Sirius began, but Remus got up and stopped him. 

"I'm sorry I blamed you guys for what happened. It's not your fault, its mine." 

His eyes were red, and it was obvious that he had been crying. James patted him on the back. 

"Cheer up, mate! There's still a chance! You can sweep her off of her feet at the Formal!" 

"Wake up, James," Remus snapped. "She's going with someone else. She didn't want to go with me." 

"Moony, for God's sake! She doesn't love Rhys Davies, she loves you! And if you need proof of that, well, just go up to her room and you'll find her crying her eyes out over you!" Sirius shouted. 

This stunned Remus for a moment. 

"You see? There's still time! Now stop moping about!" 

****

Thank yous:

The Elfin Child: Ah, don't we all want a boyfriend. Thanks! **Jellybean**: Thank you! **Lupus Argenteus Noctus**: Oh yea, I can spell your sn without having to look now, go me. LoL. Thanks! **celestrialeclipse**: I hope you enjoyed the rest of the chapters! **BookCrazee68**: LoL, ok thanks. Have fun in NY and DC! **Maigon Jesolite**: HeeheeheeI can just add a random chapter in here about me and you going to Hogwarts and ending up with Sirius and RemusI think for another fic I should do that, after Ties is done. **Eponine Makino**: LoL thank you! **Clavel**: eeeeee! Oh my goodness you have got to be my kindest reviewer ever, you're so sweet! Thank you! **Lamina Court**: Ooooh, I think you're right, I doubt they would tell anyone either. Oopsie daisy, I guess I'll hafta be more careful next time.and only FOUR MORE DAYS TIL OOTP!!!!!!! ** chickensoup3**: Thanks! ** Gaverosh Makino**: Prooooobably next chapter! ** mystikalolo**: Believe it or not, Piglet is my favorite Pooh character, and I can imitate him quite well if I say so myself ;-) ** starborn**: LOL! ** Caz**: Tsk, tsk, only one out of three this time! LoL. ** My Arwen**: Thank you! ** peregrine falcon**: Thank you so much! Um.. did you know that you left the same review four times? ** KeeperOfTheMoon**: Thank you! ** Kaila**: Awwthanks! ** Jariv Rainam**: DUDE I saw Finding Nemo the speaking whale part was SOOOOO funny! What a cute movie, except I thought it'd be funnier. Oh well. LoL I just read the second review thank you! ** Siren**: Thanks a bunch! ** Cho-Look-Alike**: Thanks! ** PJ**: GI- and you told me that in a REVIEW? Ever heard of AIM mister? Jk, jk. Thanks! ** Amanda**: Thank you! ** Lady Meriadoc**: Oh my gosh thank you so much! ** lena-jade**: LoL thank you! And do tell me when you get your fanfic up I wanna read it! ** Gabie**: Thank you! ** Ruee**: Thanks a lot! 


	17. Valentine's Day

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DISCLAIMER: I own Ashley, Trewyn, Ebony, Trinity Barklove, Rhys, and Twelve Purple Cabbages. 

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A/N: I know what you guys are thinkingtwo updates from SENNA? In the same WEEK? Unbelievable! LoL! But it's true! Aren't you guys proud? I've done little but write for these past couple of days, just cuz you guys are so awesome. K, you know Lily's thoughts, Aria's only appear once and that's in her part so they're between * *s, and the little stars signal Remus' thoughts throughout the rest of the fic, and Ashley's thoughts are between ~ ~s. 

Chapter 17: Valentine's Day

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If I could say what I want to say

I'd say I want to blow youAWAY

Be with you every night

Am I squeezing you too tight

If I could say what I want to see

I want to see you go downon one knee

Marry me today

Guess I'm wishing

My life away

With these things I'll never say

~* "Things I'll Never Say" by Avril Lavigne*~

On February fourteenth, Lily awoke with the sun to the sweet, delicate silence of a morning snowfall, due to excitement and nervousness at the same time. She was excited and nervous for the Formal, but more nervous about what would happen between Remus and Ashley. The poor girl had been feeling terrible ever since Remus had asked her to the Formal, and though she never said a word about her misery, Lily and Aria could tell that she was suffering. She yawned and stretched, and rolled over to climb out of bed, but to her surprise there was a bouquet of roses and lilies on her pillow. Before she had met James, she had never been one for such gifts, but now, the mere sight of the flowers made her heart beat faster and she began to smile unconsciously. She inhaled the fresh, fragrant scent of the flowers, and leapt out of bed to the bathroom where she quickly completed her morning routine of brushing her teeth and showering. It was a Saturday, so she wore a shirt and jeans, and she ran down the girls' stairs and up the boys' into his dormitory. There, she found him already awake, which was a rare occasion, and he was trying unsuccessfully to tame his unruly hair. Lily stood in the doorway until he noticed her, and then ran into his arms. 

"I take it you liked the flowers, then?" James teased. 

She laughed happily, and he kissed her with passion. Her soft lips parted and allowed his tongue to enter her mouth and he kissed her deeper and deeper, until he heard a noise behind him. The two broke apart to find Peter standing uncomfortably. 

"Er, can I get through? You're blocking the bathroom." 

Lily and James allowed him to enter the bathroom, and then resumed where they had left off. 

"Happy Valentine's Day, darling," said James when they had broken apart once more. "I love you." 

"I love you too," Lily replied, and rested her head against his shoulder. 

Aria walked to the Quidditch Pitch slowly, taking in the scenery around her. It was a beautiful day outside because snow covered the ground and more was falling softly. She couldn't force back a smile as she recalled the note she had found on her pillow that morning: 

My beloved Melody,

Will you make me the happiest man in the world and grace me with your exquisite presence at the time of ten-thirty at the Quidditch Pitch on this beautiful fourteenth day of February? I solemnly swear on the Marauder's Honor that your time will not be wasted. 

Forever in your awe,

Sirius

*_Honestly, he can be so sweet and silly sometimes and then a complete idiot in the next moment_.* Aria ran towards the Pitch as she neared it, and when she finally did arrive, she gasped in amazement. 

Sirius was standing at the other end of the Pitch. In between him and her, red and pink rose petals were falling out of the sky and landing on the soft, white snow to form the words "I love you, Aria", and the song Witchcraft by Frank Sinatra was playing softly in the background. Aria laughed aloud with happiness at the sight while Sirius crossed the Pitch and put his arms around her. 

"Happy Valentine's Day, love" he murmured in her ear. 

She turned around and beamed up at him. 

"Sirius," she laughed. "This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me! Thank you so much!" 

Sirius simply smiled and kissed her. 

"Dance with me," he said when they had broken apart. 

Aria smiled and placed one hand on his shoulder and the other in his own hand, and the couple danced while the petals-and snow-continued to fall from the sky. 

Ashley awoke on Valentine's Day as if it were any other day. However, when she saw the bouquet of flowers in a vase by Lily's bed and the note on Aria's pillow, she was overcome with a sudden pang of jealousy and sadness. There were no flowers for her today, no love notes. She tried to tell herself that it was her own fault that she was in the position that she was in, but nothing helped. Ashley considered going back to sleep and lying in bed all day long. She was positive that she would not be missed until it came time to prepare for the Formal, and she had absolutely nothing else to do. ~_I could go to the Pitch and play some Quidditchbut its sure to be filled with snogging couples by this point. Ugh, that's the last thing I need. Oooh, I could go to Hogsmeade! Honeydukes is giving out free samples of their newest chocolate today. But Hogsmeade is no fun unless you're there with someone_.~ To her frustration, Ashley found tears stinging her eyes once more. Angrily, she wiped them away. What she truly needed, she told herself, was someone to talk to, someone who would listen to her problems and advise her. On any other occasion, that would be Remus, but seeing as he was the last person she wanted to see, someone else would have to serve in his place. ~_Lily? No, she's probably with James today. And the same for Aria. Oi, is there ANYONE in this bloody school who'll be by themselves today_?~ And then it dawned upon her. ~_Hagrid! He'll be in his hut! Oh, why didn't I think of him before_?~ Ashley felt much happier than she had when she had woken up that morning, and with a much lighter heart, she brushed her teeth and showered and was out of the castle in no time. 

Hagrid had just put his enormous copper teakettle on the stove when Fang began to bark enthusiastically. The boarhound bounded over to the door and began pawing at it. A few moments later, Hagrid heard knocking, and he grabbed Fang by the collar to restrain him and then opened the door to find Ashley standing before him, and shivering slightly from the cold. 

"Well, Hullo, Ash, its bin a while since yeh've come ter me hut," said Hagrid, hugging the girl. 

"I know, Hagrid, I'm sorry, its just that, a-a lot has been going on lately," she replied sadly. 

Hagrid released the dog from his grip, and he jumped onto the girl, knocking her over in the process. She laughed as Fang licked her face over and over again, and gently pushed him away. 

"Would yeh like some tea? Or a rock cake? Jes' baked 'em las' night," the gigantic man offered. 

Ashley fought to hide a smile as she politely refused. She had had plenty of experiences with Hagrid's cooking; none of them good. 

"How have yeh bin lately?" he asked, sitting down at the round table across from her. 

Ashley bit her lip and looked into her friend's eyes. 

"Awful," she said in a small voice. "Everything is going downhill and it seems as if it'll be going that way for a while." 

"What happen'd?" Hagrid asked concernedly. 

"First of all, I'm a Seer, I just found out before the Holidays. Right now I can only See through my dreams, and the visions are horrible. I-I-I keep Seeing the Dark Lord murdering poor, defenseless, innocent people," she whispered. 

Hagrid noticed that she was holding on to the table very tightly as she said this, so tight that her knuckles were white. 

"There, there, Ashley," he soothed. 

"And second of all, I'm worried about Daddy. You know he's an Auror, right? Well, lately he's been writing less and less frequently, and Mum says that he's gone more often on missions and such. I don't want anything to happen to him, but I have the eeriest feeling that something will," Ashley confessed. 

She hadn't told anyone about this fear, not her friends or her parents. Hagrid smiled reassuringly. 

"Ash, yeh've got nothin' ter worry about. Yer dad's one of the best Aurors the Mins'try's seen in years!" 

"But I can't help worrying about him," said Ashley, and Hagrid patted her arm comfortingly. "And thenoh god!" 

"What? What is it?" asked Hagrid. 

"I must be the most dimwitted person in Hogwarts," Ashley moaned. "You know how the Formal is tonight, right?" 

Hagrid nodded. 

"WellI was hoping that-that Remus would ask me," said Ashley blushing, and Hagrid smiled faintly. "I was waiting for days for him to ask me, and he never did. Then Rhys Davies asked me to go with him, and by that point I had given up on the chance that Remus would ask me, and so I said yes, but true to my luck, he asked me that very same night and I had to turn him down!" 

"No!"

"Yes! And he looked so hurt tooI've been feeling horrible ever since then. I can't help but think that my chances with him are zero from now onand this morning it felt the worst because its Valentine's Day and everyone else got roses and chocolates on their pillows, a-and there was nothing on mine. Just my pillow. Oh Hagrid, I know I must sound incredibly childish right now, being resentful that I didn't get a Valentine's Day gift, but I can't help it!" Ashley's voice shook as she finally spilled all of the feelings that had been bottled up inside of her for the past few days. 

"Come now, Ash, yeh can't think tha' way! Yeh've done nothin' wrong but fall in love!" Hagrid exclaimed. 

"I wish I hadn't," she whispered bitterly. 

"But yeh did, and yeh can't help these kinds o' things. Yeh won't always have an easy life, there won't always be chocolates on yer pillow, but tha' doesn't mean there never will be! But when yeh do find them there, savor 'em! An' let me tell yeh somethin': that boy is crazy about you. Over the moon for yeh. So don' start thinkin' that there's no hope left 'cause there always is!" said Hagrid. 

Fang barked mightily in agreement. Ashley looked up at him. 

"D-d'you really think so?" 

"I know so." 

Ashley smiled the first real smile she had worn in what seemed like ages. She hugged the large man tightly. 

"Thanks for listening, Hagrid." 

"Anytime, Ash. Anytime." 

Ashley returned to the castle to discover two things: it was lunchtime, and she was starving. She joined her friends at a table in the Great Hall and began to eat. After lunch, she, Lily, and Aria went back to the dormitory and found a large, lumpy package on Lily's bed. Curiously, they approached it and carefully unwrapped it. All three girls gasped when they saw that it was Lily's dress, sent to her from Salem. They could not stop staring at the beautiful gown. Even Lily, who usually cared less about frivolities such as gowns and Formals was rendered speechless by it. As she fingered it lightly she thought that it was the sort of dress that was fit for royalty, yet she owned it and would wear that very evening. She tore her eyes away from it long enough to see that there was a note with the package. 

Dear Lily, 

It took a while in creating it, but here is your gown for the St. Valentine's Day Muggle Formal. We here at Salem sincerely hope you like it, and wish for you to have fun tonight. And remember, don't drink or let that Potter kid take you into a broom closet or I'll personally knock the socks off of him so many times that he'll never wear shoes again. 

We love you, kiddo,

Headmaster West and the entire staff of Salem Magical Institute 

Lily closed her eyes after she read the note. _Thanks, West. Thank you to all of you_. 

"Lily!" Aria exclaimed softly. "That-that is absolutely gorgeous! _Molto bello_!" (A/N: Italian for "very beautiful") 

"You're going to look fabulous tonight!" Ashley squealed. 

"I know," said Lily, dumbfounded. 

The rest of the day passed rather quickly, and all too soon it was four o' clock. Aria and Ashley determined that it was time to ready themselves for the Formal, and had decided that Lily had to start preparing as well. The redhead had been in the middle of a game of Gobstones with a seventh year, and was beating him as well. She had complained at first when her friends came for her, and when they continued to insist, she had turned towards them and said 

"Look, you guys, I'm about to win a The Who CD! This is really important! And-holy schnitzel, are you INSANE? It's four and the Formal starts at eight! How long can it take to get ready?"

"That's exactly what I've always wondered, Tigger," said Sirius, not taking his eyes off of the game. 

A few other boys muttered in agreement. The two girls scowled and waited for Lily to finish her game. When she had won, they promptly dragged her up the stairs before she could celebrate her victory properly. 

The three girls found their dormitory occupied by their archrivals, which sneered at them on entrance. Lily stepped forward and cracked her knuckles while she pretended to be studying her nails, and the two girls left hurriedly, muttering something about getting ready in a seventh year friend's dorm. Ashley, Aria, and Lily laughed as they watched Trewyn's and Ebony's retreating figures, and then set to work. Aria and Ashley each dumped their entire make-up collection onto Trewyn's bed, and Lily's eyes grew as round as saucers when she saw the assortment of cosmetics. _Good LORD! That's a LOT of stuffbut Petunia still has more_. 

"Is that all make-up?" she asked in awe. "Do you actually _use_ all of it? How can you have that much? Oooh, heeheehee look! This one looks like lipstick but its got a brush inside! That's so nifty! I wonder what this one does?" 

Aria and Ashley exchanged horrified looks at their eccentric friend, who was currently commenting on the small popping noise that was created when one removed the wand from a bottle of mascara. The two approached her slowly, and gently removed the mascara from her hands. 

"Lily," said Ashley very slowly, as if dealing with a child. "Have you ever worn _any_ make-up before?" 

"Nope," said Lily, who had now discovered a compact and was prodding the pad, used for applying blush. "I never liked the stuff. It seems such a bother to have to put it on and take it off every day." 

Ashley nodded and went into conference with Aria. 

"It looks like we've got a rookie on our hands," said Ashley in a low voice. 

"It shouldn't be too much of a problemas long as she goes along with us and doesn't touch anything," Aria muttered, glancing over at her friend. 

"All right. You do the make-up, and I'll do the hair." 

"Deal." 

"Lily!" Aria called. "All right, we don't have much time, but we'll manage. Sit on the chair at the vanity." 

Lily sat, and Ashley set to work unraveling the French brads on either side of her head. Lily immediately stood up, appalled. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I may not know mascara from lip gloss, but I can certainly do my own hair!" 

"Uh huh. And what were you planning to do with it for tonight?" Ashley asked. 

"UmLeave it down?" 

Ashley looked thoughtful. 

"Wellyou _could _do that, but then your back would be covered and you wouldn't see it." 

"Oh," said Lily, not understanding what was wrong with that. "Um, do I _want_ my back showing?" 

"What are you asking me for?" asked Ashley. "I was just thinking since the back is a very essential part of your dress, so I was going to put it up in a bun." 

"Ohhh," said Lily, understanding. "WellI guess that would be all right." 

Ashley worked on her hair, and Aria began with the makeup. As she applied each of the cosmetics, she explained how it was applied and what it was used for. 

"You've got to at least learn the basics, Lils," she said as she dotted her friend's face with foundation. _Oh, Tigger, kill me now. This gunk on my face had better be worth it or else Aria is going to find that a few spiders mysteriously slipped into her bed during the night_. 

After almost three hours of running around the room yelling for the curling iron or eye shadow or shoes, the three girls were finally adding the finishing touches to their ensembles. Each looked breathtaking, as if they were goddesses that had descended to earth to grace mortals with their radiance. 

"Ready to go?" asked Aria. 

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Ashley, nervously.

Aria smiled at her reassuringly. 

"Everything will be fine. Lils?" 

"I don't want to go," she said softly. "What if I step on James' feet? Or if I spill punch on my dress? What if he thinks I look awful?" 

"Who are you and what have you done with Lily?" asked Ashley, stunned. 

"Lily wouldn't care about the what ifs because she'd know that they don't matter, and she'd certainly know that James is madly in love with her and always thinks that she's hotter than the sun," Aria scolded. "Now snap out of it or I shall be forced to kick you. And I will, you know I will, I'm armed with stiletto heels!" 

**_They're right. You're being stupid_**. _That doesn't help! I'm still scared enough to wet myself! All right, what would Tigger do_? **_Well, for starters, he wouldn't be going to a Formal, so what you're doing is pretty pointless_**. _Do you EVER stop being incredibly annoying and sarcastic_? **_No_**. _Then make it a point to try_! Lily smiled, and tried to end stop the incessant fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. 

"Good girl. Now let's go!" 

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had opted for readying themselves for the big night by starting half an hour before they were due to meet their dates. The mood in their room was far more laid-back than that of the girls. Their preparation consisted of shaving, gelling their hair, and slapping on cologne. 

"Moony, you haven't asked anyone to go with you tonight, have you? Besides Ash," Sirius questioned as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

"Yea, I asked Trinity Barklove, that girl from Ravenclaw," said Remus, biting his lip _very_ hard and wincing as he put on after-shave. 

Sirius and James did a double take. 

"WHAT?" 

Remus looked form one boy to the other. 

"Moony! You're usually the smart one!" exclaimed James, throwing his hands into the air. 

"How are you supposed to woo Ashley if you're with another girl?" Sirius demanded. 

"What is with you and saying woo?" asked Remus, smiling. 

Sirius turned red, but quickly went back to questioning. 

"Don't change the subject. How are you going to pull this off?" 

"Don't worry, Padfoot, I've got this all under control," said Remus, tying his tie. 

"Heaven help us," muttered James. 

By seven forty-five, the fifth, sixth, and seventh year Gryffindor boys had congregated in the Common Room to wait for their dates. Eventually, the girls began to come in packs, and the area began to empty. Remus, feeling awkward in his black suit, looked around the room, noticing how some of the proud purebloods had decided to deck themselves in wizarding attire, though there were only a few of those. It felt odd to see his classmates dressed in Muggle formalwear. He had been about to leave Gryffindor Tower to wait for Trinity in the Entrance Hall when he received a nudge from Sirius. Remus turned his attention towards the Girl's Stair, and what he saw made his jaw drop to the floor. 

Ashley was standing on the stairs. She was easily, in his eyes, the most beautiful girl in the room. Agony wrenched at his heart, causing him a pain he had never known before, as he saw her float gracefully down the stairs, and then it began to beat faster and faster until he thought it might burst. The dress fit her perfectly, like a second skin. It accentuated all of her curves, and the desire to hold the radiant angel and touch her arose in him stronger than ever before. The dress' soft golden shade complemented her eyes well, which were adorned with mascara and a color of eye shadow that was a blend of gold and peach. Her hair was up in a traditional spiral bun, and two stray, curled strands of hair framed her face. Her luscious lips were covered with red lip gloss and he licked his own lips subconsciously, longing to kiss them. Another nudge, this time from James, abruptly ended Remus' thoughts. 

"Stop staring," he muttered. "She's coming this way." 

*_Shit shit shit. Whatever you do, don't screw up! Don't screw up, don't screw up_* 

"Hey, guys," Ashley said softly. 

She had not wanted to come outside by herself, to face Remus by herself. Ashley had begged and pleaded with Aria and Lily, but they had firmly pushed her out the door, telling her that it made no sense for her to enter the Common Room with them since her date was not in Gryffindor House. Now, she slowly met his eyes, and found them unreadable. He lookednormal. ~_What does that mean? Is he angry with me? Does he see me as nothing but a friend? Oh, please, please, PLEASE, let him see me as more than a friend_!~ 

"Hi, Ashley, looking good," said James. 

"Fabulous," said Sirius. 

Remus almost forgot to speak. 

"You look great." 

She smiled and blushed. *_Can she BE any more adorable_?* 

"Thanks. Lily and Aria said that they'd be down in a minute, but I couldn't wait for them because I-I've got to go meet, um, meet Rh-"

"Thanks for telling us, Ash," said Sirius hastily. 

Ashley and Remus both looked relieved that she had not been forced to say her date's name. She flashed Sirius a quick smile. 

"Well, I'd better be going then," she said. 

She began to leave the Common Room, but Sirius pushed Remus forward. 

"Ashley," he said, nervously. 

She felt a chill go up her spine as he said her name and turned around. 

"Yes?" 

"Do you mind if I come with you? I have to meet someone there as well." 

The words seemed to bounce off of her, like boulders being thrown at a wall. Remus had a date. He had a date. And why wouldn't he? ~_I can't possibly think that he wouldn't have gotten one. It's completely unreasonable! So why didn't I think that he would? Ugh, I want to crawl into bed and die and forgot that this mess ever happened_!~ Ashley quickly recovered. 

"Sure. I mean, I don't mind." The two left the Common Room together. 

"This is going to be interesting, Padfoot, my friend," James sighed. 

"What is?" A voice at the top of the stairs called. 

The two boys looked to see who the voice belonged to, and their eyes practically bulged out of the sockets. 

Lily and Aria were standing before them, looking like two angels who had been placed on earth just for them. The boys could barely keep themselves standing as they stared. 

Lily's dress was a pale green color. The top part of it was dotted with numerous, tiny sparkles, which stopped high above her waist. It was long and did not flare out at the bottom, but instead ended with her feet covered in a sea of green and silvery-green fabric. The dress had two slits on either side that came up to just above the knee, but there was silvery-green colored silk underneath them. There was a trail of sparkles in a pattern of curling waves going up both sides of the dress that started where the slits ended. The dress had spaghetti straps, and the back was open until the beginning of her shoulder blades, where thin green straps began to cross her back. The straps ended at the end of her shoulder blades, and the back finally closed. She stood before James with anxiety in her dazzling, sparkling, vivid emerald green eyes, which were lined with black eyeliner and covered with a silver eye shadow and mascara. Her full lips were a deep, mysterious red, and she wore the necklace he had made for her around her neck. Lily's hair was in a simple bun encircled by tiny braids, and she too had two curled strands framing her face. 

"Lily," James said huskily, pulling her closer to him. 

Her beautiful eyes sought his for approval. 

"D-do you like it?" she whispered. 

"You look too beautiful for this world," he said, stroking her face. "You're more beautiful than any picture, any flower, anything." 

Lily blushed and felt relief wash over her like a cool, refreshing wave upon parched sand. James cupped her face with his hands, and she inhaled the clean but risqué scent of him. He kissed her amorously, and Lily felt herself become enveloped in his kiss. His hands left her face and inched there way up her back, making her shiver as she felt them on her bare skin. Lily lost awareness to anything and everything except the kiss. 

Aria's gown was midnight blue with a halter instead of straps, and it flared out at the bottom. Blue flowers with dark blue beads in their centers ran diagonally down the front of her dress in an uneven chain and along the hem at the bottom. The open back ended at the middle of her shoulder blades, and the same flowers followed each other in a descent in the opposite direction as the front, but still diagonal. She wore a black choker with a flower in the center, and her hair was up in an elegant French knot. She wore mascara, had lined her eyes, and had put on the palest blue eye shadow available. Her glossy, red lips completed the ensemble. 

Sirius wrapped his arms around her as soon as she had reached him. He looked into her eyes, those enrapturing pools of purple and blue. 

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." 

Aria knew by his tone and gaze that he was completely serious, and her heart skipped a beat. *_He called me a woman_.* 

"Sirius-" she began, but stopped, for he was making a slow trail of kisses down her face to the nape of her neck. Aria felt herself go weak at his touch, and she ran her hands through his jet black hair. 

All of a sudden, the two couples heard someone clear their throat behind them. The four stopped what they were doing and turned to find a very red fourth year student. 

"Er, P-Professor McGongall asked me to tell all of the remaining fifth, sixth, and seventh year students that the Formal was about to start and that everyone was ordered to report to the Entrance hall." 

They thanked the younger student, and hurried off to the Entrance Hall. It was completely crowded with students who were talking and laughing excitedly, waiting for the night's events to begin. The foursome saw that Remus and Trinity were on one side of the hall talking with her group of friends, and Ashley and Rhys were on the other side with his. But, before they had the chance to decide which of their friends they would go to, the large, ornate, wooden doors magically opened, and the students assimilated into the Great Hall. 

The walls were decked with deep scarlet, pink, and white banners. The four House Tables had been moved farther back to create a dance floor, and they were covered with red or white tablecloths with golden silverware. Also, the chairs had been replaced by ones that had statuettes of Cupid with his bow and arrow on the backs. There were mysterious, floating, heart-shaped glowing things on the walls, which created just enough light to see well enough and set a romantic tone. Red, white, and pink streamers were attached to nothing, yet were suspended from the ceiling. The students murmured with surprise as they stood on the dance floor, waiting for the music to start. When Dumbledore took the stage, they stopped their chatter. 

"It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you to the very first St. Valentine's Day Muggle Formal!" the old wizard began, and was answered with cheers and applause. "This event would not be possible, had it not been for our Professors of Muggle Studies, Transfiguration, and Charms, along with the school Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl!" 

This created more applause, which James responded to by bowing and pretending to look very humble. Lily laughed along with the rest at his little performance, and even Dumbledore smiled. 

"I will keep you from your festivities no longer. Let the night begin!" 

The students cheered as the hired band called Twelve Purple Cabbages began to play a slow song. Lily smiled as James led her to the dance floor. 

"May I have this dance?" he asked, offering a hand. 

Lily laughed and quickly composed herself, and attempted to look as regal and proper as possible. 

"Yes, you may." 

James placed his hands on her hips, and she hers around his neck. He leaned his forehead against hers, and she closed her eyes, savoring the moment. _I'm never going to be able to leave him. Never. Even if I have to_. 

Throughout the night, happy couples could be heard inside of the Hall or in the rosebushes laughing, talking, dancing, and whatnot. And every time Ashley heard one of those noises, her own unhappiness increased. She danced with Rhys, but instead of looking at him her gaze drifted off towards Remus and Trinity. Try as she might, she could not stifle the burning desire rising inside of her to be in the other girl's place. All in all, Ashley was having a fantastically horrible night, and she was itching for it to end. 

Rhys Davies was not as stupid as he looked. He was smart enough to know that his date was completely restless and was not enjoying herself at all, and she had not been throughout the entire evening. He therefor decided to take action. 

"Hey, babe, you look bored with this shindig. Why don't we go outside? Maybe you'll feel better out there," he suggested. 

Ashley struggled to control her temper. 

"Sure, just as long as you never call me 'babe' again." 

She walked out of the Great Hall, and Rhys smirked to himself. This girl had spunk, something that none of the other girls he had dated had. She was feisty, and he liked that, for girls with spirit were great in the sack. He followed her out of the Great Hall. 

Remus had been watching the small spat between him and her, and was gazing after them when Trinity's voice brought him back to reality. 

"Remus? REMUS!" 

"Yes?" 

She was obviously frustrated with him. Remus felt sincerely guilty that he wasn't treating her as well as she deserved to be, but he couldn't help himself. His thoughts were elsewhere. 

"I am going to go get some punch. Would you like any?" she asked. 

"No, thank you." 

Trinity sighed and left him for the beverage table. Remus stared at the door _she_ had left through until Sirius blocked his vision. 

"All right, Moony, this is just becoming pathetic." 

"I agree with you, Padfoot," said Remus, ashamed. 

He was acting like a fool and he knew it. 

"If you are not out of this Hall in twenty-five seconds I think I am going to be forced to beat the shit out of you," said Sirius. "I'm going to start counting now: one" 

Remus was gone before he had reached the count of five. Sirius smiled with satisfaction at his work. 

Meanwhile, Rhys and Ashley were standing outside by the lake. The glassy, rippling water created the only noise that could be heard, save for the rustling of rosebushes. There was a quarter moon high in the velvety black sky, which was dotted with millions of stars shimmering like diamonds. It was a beautiful night, and it would have been perfect for Ashley if only _he_ were with her instead of Rhys. Seeing as she was bored, she decided to converse with her date. 

"Its beautiful outside." 

Rhys looked at her hungrily and replied. 

"Not as beautiful as you." 

Before Ashley could react, Rhys kissed her, a large, wet, sloppy kiss. He grabbed her arms roughly and held her so tight that it was painful. Panicking, she struggled to free herself of his iron grip, but his hands still locked her arms into place and he kissed her harder. Slowly, the hands crept their way up to her shoulders and slid the straps of her dress down. That, for Ashley, was crossing the line. She was no longer panicking, but completely angry and resentful. Furious, she bit his tongue and slapped him with all of her strength, and sent Rhys reeling backwards. He rubbed his red, sore cheek and glared at her. She shook uncontrollably, but fought to keep herself dignified and not fall to pieces about what had almost happened. 

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed. "Leave me the hell alone! If it hadn't been for you, this night could have been perfect!" 

Before the enraged boy had a chance to speak, Ashley ran towards the castle, as fast as her high-heeled shoes allowed her to go. 

"YOU'RE A SHITTY KISSER!" he roared after her. 

"RIGHT BACK AT YOU!" she yelled without turning around. 

Fueled by anger, shame, and misery, Ashley ran and ran, not stopping until she had reached the front steps of the castle. Here, she finally dared to stop. She sat down on the last step and hugged her knees tightly to herself, and cried. She felt like vomiting. ~_How DARE that disgusting little git kiss me! The NERVE of him! God, I feel so dirty. And how could I be so stupid as to agree to go with him? Going with no one at all would have been loads of more fun then going with that jerk. And going with Remus would have been heaven_.~ Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her, so she quickly dried her eyes and stood up to find Remus there. He looked surprised and concerned to find her there, and it was obvious to her that he knew that she had been crying. 

"Ashley, what happened?" he asked worriedly. 

She shook her head and shrugged to tell him that she didn't want to say, and began to walk away, but he hurried after her and caught her hand. 

"Ashley. Tell me what's wrong," he said. 

His voice was low and quiet, but definitely not passive. It was firm and demanding, but filled with kindness and warmth at the same time. She sighed, knowing that he would not let go of her until she had told him, and was secretly glad of that. She did not want him to ever let go. 

"I-I came outside for some fresh air a-a-and he came along too-"

"Rhys?"

"Yes. We were out by the lake and he used the oldest, cheesiest line in the book, and then-"

"What line?"

"The 'it's beautiful out here tonight' 'not as beautiful as you' line. I was about to laugh at him and tell him to go jump in the lake, but then, he-he-" she stumbled. Ashley could not bring herself to tell him that he had come onto herliterally. 

It was too shameful for her to speak of. Remus' eyes suddenly filled with anger. 

"Did he kiss you," he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. 

It was no use. His words shook with the animosity he felt. Her pleading eyes met his. 

"I didn't want him too! I don't like him in that way! I couldn't stop him, Remus, he did it so fast! When I realized what was happening I tried to get away but I couldn't, he was holding me too tight! I couldn't scream either because his mouth was completely over mine. I finally slapped him and managed to get away after he-he-he-" Ashley subconsciously crossed her arms across her front, and she grasped her shoulders as if she was defending herself against some attacker. 

She shuddered and felt the bile flow up to her mouth once more as she remembered the feeling of his groping fingers, but she forced it to stay down, and it suddenly dawned upon Remus. He knew what had happened. A burning fire of fury sparked and grew in his eyes as he comprehended what Davies had tried to do to her. 

"Where is he?" he growled. "Where is the bastard? I'll kill him! Where is he, Ash?" *_HOW DARE HE TOUCH HER? He had no right to! She's too good for him! That slimy piece of shit is going to pay for what he's done_!* 

"Please, Remus, don't hurt him!" Ashley exclaimed. 

There was no doubt in her mind that Remus would seriously injure the boy if he found him. Even kill him. And although she hated Davies for what he had tried to do more than she had hated anything before, she most certainly did not want him to die. 

"I can't just let him get away with it, Ashley! I can't let him think he can just get fresh with you whenever he wants too! I'm not going to let that happen, I love you too much!" Remus exclaimed. 

His eyes widened with surprise when he realized which words had just left his mouth. *_But I don't take them back. Thank GOD, I've finally said it_!* He nervously watched her face for her reaction. Ashley's eyes widened, and she burst into tears. *_Shit! What have I done? Maybe she doesn't love me. Way to go, me_!* He tenderly brushed away the tears that were cascading down her exquisite face. 

"I don't know how that managed to slip out, Ash, but I don't deny it. And I'm truly sorry if this upsets you, but I-"

"Stupid git!" Ashley exclaimed, looking up to face him through her tears. "Have you any idea at all how long I've been waiting to hear you say that? Five years! Five years I've been in love with you, and you finally decide to tell me now! I waited and waited for you to ask me to the Formal, and when I thought that you had no intention of asking me I said yes to that jerk, and then you asked me and my heart broke when I had to say no! I've been waiting for so long!" 

Ashley had stopped crying and was now half yelling and half laughing. She had never been so happy in her entire life. ~_He loves me! He loves me! He LOVES me_!~ Remus laughed along with her and hugged her tightly.

"What took you so long in asking me, anyway?" Ashley asked when they had finished laughing. 

Remus smiled sadly at the memory of his foolishness. 

"You deserve the best the world has to offer. I-I didn't think that you'd want to go with me because of, you know, my being a-" 

"I don't care about that," Ashley interrupted. "I'd still love you if you were a vampire or a chizpurfle." 

Remus laughed loudly at the serious expression upon her face as she said this. 

"I know. And I should have known that you wouldn't care about that," he said. 

"Sowhat do we do now?" asked Ashley. 

Personally, she wouldn't have minded staying in his arms for the rest of the night. 

"You," said Remus, looking very stern, "still owe me a dance. And there's one left." 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ashley asked, leading him to the castle. 

Back in the Great Hall, James, Sirius, Aria, and Lily were completely distraught. The last dance of the night was approaching fast, and Davies had come back to the dance without Ashley, who, along with Remus, was still missing. 

"Where are they?" Aria asked frantically. 

"Relax, darling, they might be in a closet or a rosebush somewhere, happily-"

"SIRIUS!" 

"What?" Aria gave him a reprimanding look. "Watch out, Melody, or you might find yourself a professor one day." 

Sirius gave her a mischievous look. Aria rolled her eyes. 

"Look, you guys!" Lily exclaimed as she pointed towards the wooden doors. "They're coming!" 

And so they were. Remus and Ashley entered the Great Hall hand in hand as soon as the last, slow song began to play and began to dance. Their four friends began to head towards them. 

Remus placed his hands upon Ashley's slender hips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The music played in the background, and the two looked deeply into each other's eyes. 

"Ashley," Remus murmured. 

"Mmh?" 

"May I kiss you?" 

Ashley scanned his eyes quickly for the same look that Davies had had, but she found only tenderness and affection. She knew that he would not try to force himself onto her, that he truly loved her, so she nodded, and moments later she felt shocks of love's electricity as his lips pressed gently against hers. He was gentle, not forceful as Davies had been. She was not scared as they kissed, but felt completely safe from the evils of the world. This was what she had been waiting for all of those years, and she savored every second he was kissing her. Remus was astonished at the softness of her lips and their sweet taste; how perfectly her delicate body fit against his. Theirs was not a kiss of lust, a result of an overflow as teenaged hormones as had been the case when Davies had kissed Ashley, but a kiss of true love, the kind most only dream about. Dumbledore sensed that as he watched the two, and a smile spread across his lined face. The couple broke apart for a moment to catch their breath, and resumed again with her lips parted. The kiss seemed to bind their love and connect their souls. And their friends simply watched with happiness that their two friends had found each other at last. 

****

Thank yous: 

**Lady Meriadoc**: As soon as I saw you're review I knew I'd have to get this chapter up A.S.A.P. LoL. **Gaverosh Makino**: Oh my gosh, I can't believe that I posted on your birthday! I'm such a kind and thoughtful person, aren't I? Jk, lol. Well I hope your birthday went well and thanks for taking the time to R/R! **eponine-in-training-makino**: I'm glad that the fic means so much to you! **mystikalolo**: Oh believe me, I don't think you're unhinged at all. I love Pooh and all Disney movies, LoL I guess I'll never grow up. **The Elfin Child**: You've got the right idea! **Jariv Rainam**: Thanks! **Clavel**: I'm glad that you liked what I didI didn't want Remus and Ashley to have an easy time getting together because not everyone is always lucky and I wanted my fic to at least be a smidgen realistic. Oi, I was sick this morning too, so I know how you feel. I hope you're feeling better! **Caz**: LoL you crack me up. Hmmhalfway correct! **Bookcrazee68**: Oh now you think he sounds hot. He's always been hot! LoL. Awyou're the greatest! **Maigon Jesolite**: Thank you! **ALMA**: Thanks a lot! **lena-jade**: Thanks! 


	18. Epilogue

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A/N: This chapter is in Sirius' point of view, and it takes place right before Order of the Phoenix starts. 

Chapter 18: Epilogue

Heaven. That is where I feel I am in this very moment. I lock my arms tighter around my ravishing, beloved wife, who is asleep in my arms. As she nuzzles against my bare chest, I see our clothes strewn about the room; the result of last night's fit of passion induced by our first meeting in fourteen years. When I entered her chambers both of us had stood dumbstruck for at least five minutes, staring. 

"Aria," I had whispered. 

That name flowed from my lips like sweet drops of honey; it was a sweet, slow, familiar song that was sung by heart. My eyes feasted upon her as crystal tears ran down her face. I knew it must have been because of my drastic change of appearance. I knew I looked emaciated, gaunt, and much older than thirty-five. God knows I feel older than thirty-five. She still had the same intoxicating purplish-bluish eyes that had captivated me from the first moment my eyes had rested upon her. Her thick, silky black hair was no longer curly, though, but straight and pulled up in a loose, messy bun. I brushed away the stray strands away from her face and wiped away her tears before planting my lips firmly upon hers and kissing her as if my life depended on it, which it very much did. The thought of her had kept me alive and struggling for survival all of these years, for if she were not in my life, then I had no reason to live. The explosion of feelings, relief, love, and desire, that shot into both of us when we touched caused tears of joy to stream down both of her faces. I picked her up and carried her to the bed, where she broke away from the kiss to speak, as she caressed my hard, bony, aged face with such love and tenderness that only she was capable of showing. 

"You're finally here," she whispered shakily. "After all of those years, you're finally here with me once more." 

I smiled a smile at her that I had not worn since the days of my youth. 

"You didn't honestly think that I'd leave you, darling, did you?" I asked, and kissed her once more. 

We both fell deeper and deeper into the soft bedand I'm sure you know what happened next. Let me just tell you, it was fabulous. 

I kiss the top of her head gently, and the smile on her face broadens as she sleeps on. And I feel as if I could be in Heaven, if only my friends were here. James Potter, Lily Potter, and Ashling Lupin. Remus Lupin is actually in the room next door to us, and I fear that we may have kept him awake all night long with ourer, you know. As I gaze at the sleeping angel next to me, I recall the happiest-and most sorrowful-times of my life, all of which involved my six great friends, and one who turned out to be the bane of my life. 

It all began the day that Lily left Hogwarts, at the end of our fifth year. I don't believe the five of us had ever cried so much before in our entire lives. Lily was different from anyone we had ever met. She was tough, witty, and sarcastic, due to the time she had lived on the streets in America. Yet, once you saw past all of that, or rather, once _she_ let you see past all of that, you would see that Lily was one of the kindest, sweetest, funniest, and coolest people in the world. She came to us with a guarded heart, but we pounded away at those concrete walls until they crumbled away. As we stood on Platform Nine at King's Cross Station on that rainy, dreary day in June, we knew that life would never be the same without her. 

James came up with the idea to give her a charm bracelet with a charm from each of us on it. He, of course, gave her a heart charm. That boy was completely in love with her and she him. I gave her a dog charm because that was my Animagus form. Remus gave her a wolf charm, Aria (who could not be there because she had to stay at Hogwarts for the summer to learn the ways of the Alcantvi) a charm in the shape of the flag of Italy, and Ashley a crystal ball charm. Lily had simply cried when we presented her with the present, and we gave her a group hug. She told us that we were the best friends she had ever had, and that she would never forget us. "Even if my memory's modified!" she had promised. Slowly, our parents found us and dragged us away from her, until it was only James, Lily, and I left. He was to stay with me over the summer, since he couldn't very well go home to a father who wanted him to either join the Dark Side or die. They held each other close and simply looked at each other for a while, with rain and tears streaming down their faces. I'll never forget what happened when the cab came to take her to the airportto take her out of our lives

__

"Your driver is here, Miss," a station attendant had said, pointing to an old, wrinkled man inside of a taxi cab. 

Lily gripped James' soaking wet shirt tighter, and he held her as if he'd never let go, which, Sirius thought, was what he intended to do. Lily traced his face with one finger, memorizing each line, each bone, each dimple. James kissed her, savoring her taste for one last time. 

"Don't make me go, James," she begged. "Don't let me get into the cab. I love you more than anything in this world. I can't be at home without you there. Don't let me leave!" 

James wanted more than anything to listen to Lily, to do what she was telling him to do. However, he embraced her tighter as he realized with anguish that it was not possible. Lily had to leave. And she would take his heart along, with her. 

"Hurry up, Miss, I haven't got all day, you know!" said the cab driver, annoyed. "There's a man waiting for you at the airport as well! If you miss your plane, he will too!" 

Lily's heart sunk as she realized that West was waiting for her at the airport. She kissed James again, and her body felt as if it were on fire from his touch. Fresh tears poured from her emerald green eyes, which seemed to have lost their light and now looked dull and normal. 

"I love you, Lily," he whispered. "I love you and I promise that we're going to be together. I'm going to marry you one day."

There was a certainty about his voice that made Sirius wonder at how he could be so sure. And it was in Lily's eyes, too. They shone once again, and she stopped crying. She wiped away his tears and forced a smile upon her face for him. 

"I love you, James Potter," she whispered. 

They kissed once more, a kiss that made the other couples on the platform green with envy. These two fifteen year old kids were completely in love with each other, and it was obvious even to most thickheaded of people. They broke apart slowly when the cabby began to yell for Lily once more, and she slowly walked backwards to the cab. Their eyes never once left each other's. 

"Don't look back," said James. 

Lily nodded. She couldn't speak or else she knew she would cry once more, and she wanted to leave him with happiness, not sadness. When she reached the cab, she took one long, last look at the love of her life, her soul mate, and quickly entered the cab. The driver sped off, muttering about young people those days. Thunder shook the heavens and lightening severed clouds, as Lily's heart was wrenched apart with each mile she was carried away from her love

I smile bitterly as I remember that summer. The first few weeks, any fool could tell he was in agony. I was pretty upset as well because I wouldn't be able to see Aria that summer, but I knew that compared to James, what I was feeling was nothing. As soon as we boarded the Hogwarts Express that fall, I would be able to see her, touch her, talk and laugh with her. James would not be able to do any of that. The only way he would ever be able to talk to Lily was through owl mail, and that was not enough for him. He needed to hear her voice, hear her laugh, see her and touch her. After that time, he began to pretend that everything was normal again, and he fooled everyone except for me. By day he was good old James, always ready for a laugh, but by night, he was a heartbroken teenager. Thus was how our summer went. 

When we arrived back at Hogwarts, the six of us were thrilled to be with each other once more, but nothing was the same without Lily. We wanted her and her sarcasm, her oddness, her Lily-ness back where it belonged. The females of Hogwarts were delighted that she was gone, and stupidly figured that James Potter was on the market once more. A cocky Ravenclaw seventh year asked him out, and he told her sorry, but he had a girlfriend. And then it happened. Dumbledore entered the Great Hall along with a ragged, disheveled, joyless young girl with flaming red, curly hair. Our hearts skipped about three beats when we realized that it could only be Lily, but we were concerned and worried about why she looked solifeless. James shot up like a firecracker and almost ran to her, but we held him back. 

The Great Hall became completely silent as Dumbledore and Lily took the stage. We couldn't believe our ears when we heard what he had to say. Dark Wizards had attacked Lily's old school in August, and it had been completely destroyed. There were only five survivors: Lily, a seventh year boy and girl, and two professors. Wizarding schools around the world were offering to take in the three surviving students, now with no school of their own, and Hogwarts had taken back Lily. 

She was silent throughout dinner that night, and silent she remained until we headed back to the Common Room. There, without asking any questions, James simply took her in his arms and she cried uncontrollably. It turned out that she had been in the middle of everything, and that the Dark Wizards had been searching for her. Her friend Evan had died trying to lead her out of the school, and she had almost been captured by them while she was running away, but West found her and had attacked them, giving her time to run away. Lily was completely inconsolable, and nothing we, or James, could do or say could stop her from believing that she had been responsible for the staggering number of deaths that had occurred on that night. And, as soon as she had cried all that she could, she stood up quietly and told James that she could not be with him anymore because she did not want anything to happen to him. 

That was only the start to the worst year I ever had at Hogwarts. Lily isolated herself from us, and we tried everything that we could think of to prove to her that she was not a death magnet. James almost went over the brink to insanity trying to win her back, but try as he might, she would not stop "protecting" us. By about March, James simply opted for sticking with her wherever she went, to prove to her that he was not going to suddenly fall over dead if she touched him. Lily slowly began to believe him, and finally snapped out of her spell. She begged him to forgive her, and James had simply smiled from ear to ear that he had his Lily back. And just after we had come out of our six months of anxiety over Lily, there came that fateful night in May. The night when the worst fight in the history of the Marauders began. 

After every full moon, Ashley would sit up all night in the common room, worrying about Remus, and as soon as dawn broke she would run to the hospital wing to see him. And, she did not leave his side until he was released from the wing. She was the only person that he allowed to see him after his transformations. None of us were allowed to see. In fact, even she was not wanted at first, but when he realized that she was not going to leave him he let her stay. One day as she was leaving the library, Snape and his Slytherin friends ambushed Ashley. He had always been eager to know where Remus disappeared to once a month, but in sixth year, it became his obsession to find out. They demanded to know where he went every month, and when she laughed in their faces after they had asked, the evil scum petrified her, cursed her, and kicked her, trying to force the truth out of her. However, when they realized that Ashley would take the secret to the grave, the group left her, bruised, bloodied, and broken outside of the hospital wing. Remus found her, and to this day I've never forgotten the absolute rage in his eyes. Pure hatred for Snape for hurting the one person he loved more than anyone in the world was practically radiating from him. She tried in vain to sooth him, telling him that she really was all right and that she looked worse than she felt, but it was no use. All of us were boiling mad, but none as much as Remus. 

I was so angry and upset that I cornered the slimy git outside of his common room. It took quite a lot of willpower to resist the urge to knock the living daylights out of him, but I resisted the urge. I calmly told him that if he was so interested in finding out where Remus disappeared to once a month, he should press a knot at the bottom of the Whomping Willow Tree on that night (the night of the full moon). I told him that he would definitely find out what my friend was up to, and he looked as if Christmas had come early. 

That night in the Common Room before James, Wormtail, and I left to meet Remus in the Willow, I told James of my prank. His eyes became as large as Bludgers and he quickly asked at what time I had told Snape to go, and I told him that I had said right about the time it was now. Panic spread over his face and he yelled at me furiously. "How could you do this, Sirius? Don't you realize what could happen?" And he ran from the common room, leaving me with a wounded pride. 

As I look back upon that night now, I can hardly believe what a stupid ass I was. All I had wanted was revenge on my enemy, and I ended up endangering his, James', and Remus' life, as well as his future Hogwarts education. If I were presented with the opportunity to relive one time in my life, I would most definitely relive the night I told Snape to enter the Willow and I would set things right. But so far, I have not had the opportunity, and everyday I ask myself, why did I do it? Why did I endanger the lives of two of the people who meant the most to me? James later told me that he ran all the way from Gryffindor Tower to the passage in the Whomping Willow, where he found Snape frozen solid and Remus positioned to spring. With a burst of speed, he slammed the door and locked it, and ran out of the Willow with Snape in tow. 

What followed was a period of my life that I would rather not reminisce about. The next day, James, Snape, and I found ourselves in Dumbledore's office explaining our actions. The headmaster removed fifty points from Gryffindor and awarded James thirty for his bravery, and I am still surprised he did not take more. He also swore Snape to secrecy. I could not even look at any of the three people in the room, as guilt and shame were eating away at my soul. I knew that Dumbledore was gravely disappointed in me, and that in itself was a more terrible punishment than scrubbing the entire castle with a toothbrush. I kept hoping with all my heart that I was trapped in some kind of terrible nightmare and that at any moment I would wake up, but sadly I was very much awake and this was only the beginning. 

After the episode in Dumbledore's office, I fled to the hospital wing to beg Remus to forgive me for my stupidity. However, when I reached the infirmary, I almost fell over in shock. He was lying on a bed with half of his face completely bruised and a black eye swelling on the other side. There was a ragged gash starting from the middle of his bottom lip and ending on the right side of the nape of his neck. I did not have to look to know that the rest of his body was mangled in a similar fashion. I knew that Remus had suffered that night because neither James, Sirius, or Wormtail had accompanied him through his transformation, because he had still been upset about Ashley's attack, and because he knew what I had done. He stared at the bed next to his, where Ashley was recovering. 

_"Remus," Sirius whispered. "Remus, I-"_

The mutilated boy gave him a look of pure venom. It rushed through his veins like real poison, killing him slowly. 

"Do you realize what would have happened if James hadn't stopped him?" Remus asked icily. "Do you? I don't think you do. Because if you did, you would have known when you told Snape to go to the Willow that you were sending him to his death, and that by that time today, I would be charged as a murderer. I would have killed him, Sirius. And thank god that James was there to stop me. But now, now I'm in even worse trouble than I could have been. Because someone who hates me more than they hate anyone else knows my secret, and they can expose me at any time!" 

"D-Dumbledore-" Sirius croaked. 

"Do you really think that someone like Snape wouldn't do something because Dumbledore told him so?" Remus exclaimed furiously. 

"I-I-I-" 

"Get out of here!" Remus roared. "Get out of here before you make things even worse!" 

I remember running from the hospital wing to the lake, where I fell down to all fours and retched into the glassy grey surface until the bile stopped welling up in my mouth. Remus' words rang through my head, and the full impact of what I had done had now sunk in. On top of it all, my two best friends were disgusted with me. James forgave me a few days later, but in his heart he sided with Remus. And RemusI knew he had every right to be furious with me, but I couldn't stand it. He was my voice of reason; he usually stopped me from making insane choices. Wise beyond his years, I firmly believed that he could solve any problem that was thrown at him, and the one time in which I needed his advice more than anything else, there was no chance of him giving it. Originally, I incessantly begged for forgiveness. All I wanted was for things to be the way they used to be. Remus, however, could not believe that I was still trustworthy after I had betrayed him in such an awful way, and refused. Being the young and stupid ass I was, I grew to resent him for this. I regained my pride and ultimately stopped trying to be forgiven. 

During this time, James, Lily, Aria, Ashley, and Peter seemed confused as to who to support. James was trying as hard as he could to stay neutral, as was Lily, but that was not what we wanted. We wanted to know who was with us and who was against us, and their neutrality only caused everyone to be mad at them. Ashley stayed by Remus out of loyalty, but she wanted the same thing that I did: for everyone to be happy once more and to get on with our lives. She tried to gently talk to Remus about forgiving me, but he flat out told her that his trust in me had been broken, and that was not something he forgave easily. I was thankful for everything she was trying to do. Aria, of course, tried to stick by me as long as I pleaded with Remus. But, when I stopped, she implored me to keep trying, that eventually he would come around. We had many arguments over this, which led to a screaming match in the middle of Transfiguration

__

"This fighting is driving me insane! We all know that he was wrong, Remus, but if you're trying to teach him a lesson by not forgiving him you can stop already! He knows what he did, and can't you see that he's truly sorry? And you! Just because he hasn't forgiven you yet doesn't mean that you should just throw your hands up into the air and give up! You've-"

"Miss Gratzki! Sit down and lower your voice at once!" exclaimed an astonished Professor McGongall. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sirius shouted, ignoring the teacher. "You make it seem as if I haven't tried to get him to forgive me at all! I've begged for forgiveness, and if he doesn't want to give it, then there's nothing I can do!"

"Mr. Black! I warn you, if you do not-" 

"But you CAN do something, Sirius," she cried. "You-"

"Both of you! I will be giving you detentions and taking away fifty-"

"GOD DAMMIT, ARIA! Just stop it for Merlin's sake! The last thing I need is someone else who's pissed off at me! I don't want to be with you if all you're going to do is nag about what I'm doing wrong, I think I can figure that out for myself!" As soon as the words had left his mouth, Sirius was filled with remorse, and wished he could take them back. "Aria-"

"No. I'll stop nagging you, don't worry. The last thing you need is me constantly hissing in your ear," Aria said with a trembling voice. 

She ran out of the classroom, and the entire classroom, even Professor McGonagall, fell into a deadly silence

Once again, in a split second I had ruined everything. Everything right in my life was wrong. I tighten my grip on Aria as I recall that dark day, and I vow to never, ever lose her again. 

We ended the year that way. James and Lily had each other and were somewhat on the sidelines, Aria and I were broken up and she was still very hurt from what I had said so rashly. Remus was still distrustful of me, and Ashley seemed to be the only one who was not completely disgusted with me. It was a rotten way to begin the summer, and the times became progressively worse. 

Voldemort became increasingly active that summer. There was not a day that went by that James and I did not read about a Muggle torturing that had occurred the previous night, or even wizard torturing, and death. Oh, James and I had made up and were now on friendly terms. We couldn't very well live under the same roof and not be friends. If Remus had only been with us, everything would have been perfect. Lily was staying with Ashley, and Aria was at home in Venice, yet she had promised to spend August in England. I missed her more than words could describe. Living, and knowing that I had hurt her was almost too much for me to bear. I had written to her, but no replies were sent. 

We sent Lily and Ashley an invitation to come spend a few days with us in the middle of July. When they arrived though, Remus came with them. It turned out that James, Lily, and Ashley had conspired with each other to form a plan to make Remus and I face each other. He stepped out of the fireplace, and the room fell silent. He looked at me for a long time, as if trying to see into my soul to determine if I was worthy of forgiveness yet. His face was full of such sadness that I almost told him not to forgive me, that I did not deserve his trust once more. I remember that day so well

__

"Remus," Sirius said hoarsely. "Please-I didn't think at all. I can accept the fact that you don't trust me, but I can't accept the fact that we won't be friends any longer. These past few months have been awful!" 

He was begging one last time. If this didn't work, then Sirius didn't know what would. 

"I forgive you, Sirius, and I want you to forgive me as well. I let my anger get the better of me, and I tortured you needlessly." 

Sirius held up a hand. 

"No. I deserved it. I was a complete moron, I deserved your anger." 

The two boys began to shake hands, but then opted for a brotherly embrace that was past due

I could not believe my good fortune. I was almost whole again. Remus had forgiven me, and he trusted me once more. That was more than I had even dreamed of. Everything was almost right again. All I had to do was apologize to Aria and pray that she would find it in her heart to take back someone like me. 

That night, I shut myself into my room to write another apologetic letter to my love, and five minutes into the process I dragged Remus upstairs for his advice. Lily and James were outside walking on the grounds of my house. When Remus and I had finally finished my letter, Ashley burst into the room, her breath ragged and eyes wide with shock. Remus had immediately helped her onto the bed, concerned, and asked her what had happened. It turned out that she had had another vision, and it had been about our two lovestruck friends. In her vision, she had Seen Lucan Potter Apparate onto the grounds and grab Lily and hold her at knife point. Without another word, we dashed out of the house in search of the two, hoping it was not too late. 

By the time we had found them, Lily was shaking uncontrollably and cradling James' head in her lap. His face shone with sweat, and he was writhing as he gasped for air. Scared to death, we asked Lily what had happened. She said that Lucan had grabbed her and held her at knife point and told James that he would kill her if he did not join him. James had taken out his wand quickly and used a Banishing Charm on the knife. Lily had wrenched herself out of Lucan's grasp, and the raging man had cast a spell of some sort of Dark Magic on James. Lily was crying now, and everyone looked very pale. Dark Magic could only be cured by someone who was entirely good, entirely full of Light Magic. And then it hit me: Aria. She was a protector of Good, in other words, a protector of Light Magic. I took James' wand and Summoned my father's broomstick that he used to travel long distances and the Invisibility Cloak, and within moments I had mounted the broom and secured James to it. Hastily, I explained my plan to my bewildered friends, mounted my broom, and began my flight to Italy. 

That was one of the most terrifying nights of my life. As I silently urged the broom to fly faster, I talked to James, urging him to hang onto life and _not_ move towards any lights at the ends of any tunnels he might happen to see. James grew paler and paler as the night wore on, and I tried a simple healing charm I had learned from times after Remus' transformations. It had little effect, but it helped me to think clearer because I knew I had done something to help. As the sun's first golden rays began to creep over the horizon, I reached my destination. Aria had once told me that her house was in the Campo Delle Luci. I dismounted and quickly stopped a passing old to ask where this was, and he told me timidly. I must have looked like a wreck; shadows under my eyes and with an insane look in my eyes. I ran as fast as I could, and when I arrived, I magically unlocked the door. I didn't care how many regulated rules of the Ministry I was breaking. If James died, I'd never forgive myself. 

I was greeted by Aria's father, and I rushed passed him and into Aria's bedroom, where she lay sleeping. I roughly shook her awake, with her father yelling angrily in Italian behind me. She awoke with a start, and looked so surprised that it would have been funny under different circumstances. I quickly explained what had happened to James and begged her to heal him. She closed her eyes and placed her hand upon his heart. A faint, warm, glowing light was created underneath her hand, and she began to mutter strange words as she grew paler and paler. She repeated the words again and again, and the light became brighter and stronger. I was transfixed at this sight. James began to stop writhing, and the scared, pained look upon his face slowly disappeared. When Aria was done, she pressed down lightly on his chest, and the light shot into both of them. James blinked a few times, and I breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive. James was alive. She had saved him. Aria looked extremely drained from this whole experience, and fell into my arms. She struggled to sit up once more, but I wrapped my arms around her. I whispered how sorry I was and how every word I had spoken that day had been false. I told her I loved her, and that I always would. She simply smiled up at me, that lovely smile that lights up my world, and told me that she knew. I hugged her and kissed her. Now, I was truly whole once more. 

Seventh year was definitely the happiest year of Hogwarts any of us had ever had. It was filled with a seemingly endless workload, countless nights in which we snuck off to Hogsmeade to hang out at the Three Broomsticks, romantic evenings, pranks galore, and some of the best times I've ever experienced. It was also the year in which we created the Marauder's Map, which was originally Lily's idea. 

We had burst into the common room completely breathless on the night that we filled the potions classroom to the brim with dungbombs and Fillibuster Fireworks, which were set to go off as soon as Professor Glenn entered the room, due to the fact that we were almost caught by Filch and his horrid cat. Lily had collapsed onto the couch-and James, and caught her breath

__

"That was way, way WAY too close," said Lily as she adjusted herself so that she could sit comfortably in James' lap. 

The unruly haired boy did not seem to mind at all. 

"Yea, but what can we do? We can't tell when he's coming. And those secret passages are so confusing sometimes," said Aria. 

Lily's eyes slowly lit up with excitement. She jumped off of her boyfriend's lap, who looked quite put out that she was gone. 

"That's it!" she exclaimed. 

"What?" asked Sirius. 

"We should make a map of the castle! God knows that we know it better than anyone else! And we could charm it to show us where the professors and Filch are at all times! It'd be impossible for us to get caught!" 

"Yes!" Aria exclaimed. 

"That's a great idea, Tigger, except how would we make it? You know I love you, but you can't draw. And neither can I, nor Sirius or Aria," said James. 

"Remus and Ashley can though!" she exclaimed. "How about it you guys?" 

She turned to her two friends, who had not been listening to a word she said due to the fact that they werebusy at the moment. 

"Quit the snogfest! We're having an important meeting! Moony, get off of her! And Ashley, stop encouraging him!" exclaimed Sirius, pulling apart the couple. "Now what do you say to drawing a map of Hogwarts, secret passages included, and charming it so that we can see where the professors and Filch are at all times?" 

"Th-that's great," said Ashley, catching her breath. "I'll get started right now." 

She left for the girls' dormitory. Remus watched her go. 

"I'll help," he said. 

"Huh, no," said Lily, smiling. 

"I think you've had enough time with her for one evening," said James, smirking. 

Ashley came back down from the dormitory, and sat down on the couch to draw. 

"Er, weren't you going to do that upstairs?" asked Aria, raising an eyebrow at her friend. 

"Yesbut I need help, and Remus can't come in the girls' room," said Ashley innocently. 

The four teenagers exchanged looks and went off to bed. The next morning, they found Remus and Ashley asleep in each other's arms on the couch

And so we preceded to graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with James holding the top grades of the boys, me next, and then Remus. Lily was tops in the girls with Ashley next and then Aria. We were finally out on our own, qualified witches and wizards. The first thing we did was find jobs. To our delight, due to our excellent N.E.W.Ts and O.W.Ls scores, all six of us were drafted for the Auror Training Program, where we were rigorously drilled by Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody. When we had completed the program, we signed up for field duty. This was the dangerous stuff, where we were sent on missions to defeat Death Eaters, and ultimately, Voldemort. We were successful, too, and Dumbledore called upon us to joing the Order of the Phoenix. Never before had twenty Death Eaters been caught in one year. 

By the end of our first year of being Aurors, James had married Lily, and I had married Aria. James had also inherited a small fortune from his mother who had passed away, and he and Lily moved into a nice large but cozy house in a neighborhood called Godric's Hollow. When Lily found out she was pregnant, the Potters had thrown a party at their house, in which we six had laughed and talked until the wee hours of the morning. Not long after, Remus and Ashley became engaged, and to my delight, Aria told me that I was going to be a father. 

Soon, Lily gave birth to Harry, and James became a proud father. They also named Aria and I his godparents, which made us happier than we could ever explain to them. He and Lily were completely crazy about their son, taking him out to see ducks in a nearby pond, playing peek-a-boo with him, reading to him, and showering him with all the love a child could ever dream for. Lily, after giving birth, had taken Harry in her arms and had vowed: "I am going to give you everything I never had. You'll never, ever be without my love, even long after I'm gone. You're never going to live through the life I had." And as far as we could tell, she and James fulfilled that promise every day. 

Ironically, a month later Aria gave birth to our daughter, Cassiopeia Neroli Black. I was so scared when the doctor first put my daughter into my arms. She was so tiny and delicate. I was overcome with emotion as I realized that she was completely dependent upon her mother and I. In other words, I was responsible for someone's life, someone who could not take care of themselves and needed me. I made a vow to always take care of my beautiful little girl, to give her anything she ever desired, to keep her happy. After discussing it with Aria, we decided to name Remus and Ashley as Cassie's godparents. Remus had looked at me, surprised. He asked why on earth I would pick him to be my daughter's godfather when he turned into a ravenous beast once a month. I told him that there was no one in the world that I would rather have as Cassie's godfather beacause no one was wiser, kinder, funnier, smarter, or braver than he. That left him at a loss for words. 

The six of us had never been happier in our entire lives. As Cassie grew to be a few weeks old, Remus' and Ashley's wedding drew nearer. The two of them must have been the most perfect couple in the entire world. They were totally, completely, madly in love with each other, and although I was with Aria and James was with Lily, there's was a different sort of love, a kind that was so deep that it could not be explained in words. It simply was. However, the greatest joy of Remus' life was about to be snatched away from him. 

The night before the wedding, Remus, James, Lily, Harry, Aria, Cassie, and I went to Ashley's parent's house for dinner. She was going to meet us there, and we were all in a happy mood, laughing and talking, but all of that was soon to change

__

It was a beautiful September night. The moon was waning high in the starry sky, and everything looked picturesque. However, the beauty disappeared as the group neared the McKinnon's house. The six stopped dead in their tracks, the color draining from their faces as they looked up to see the enormous, hideous Dark Mark floating above the simple house. 

"NO!" Remus yelled, and he ran as fast as he could towards the symbol of evil. 

"Lily! Take Harry and go home!" James whispered, and with a look of pure terror on her face, Lily Apparated herself and her son to safety. 

"Aria! You've got to leave!" Sirius said hoarsely.

Aria stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear and shock. 

"ARIA! You've got to leave! Go home with Cassie!" Sirius said, risking a louder voice. 

Aria snapped out of her trance and brushed away a tear. She nodded, and Shimmered home, her daughter held tight. Sirius and James ran to the house, where they found Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon's bodies strewn grotesquely over the porch, and Remus cradling something in arms on the front steps. They rushed over and saw Ashley with a deep, ragged gash across her chest. Blood was oozing out of the wound quickly, and was soaked up by Remus' shirt. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Ashley! Ashley, can you hear me?" Her breathing was shallow and irregular. "Ashley! Say something! Please, please say something! Anything! Don't leave me, Ash, please! Hang on, fight it!" 

Remus begged his love to hang on, but it was already too late. She was fading fast. 

"Re-Re-Re-Remus," she said, barely louder than a whisper. 

She winced with pain and the excruciating effort it took to speak. 

"I-I-I love you. I love you more than you'll ever know, more than anyone could ever know. I love you." 

Remus showered many kisses upon her face, and she smiled faintly. 

"Don't leave me, Ash," he whispered. "I can't go on without you. I need you. Without you I'm nothing. Don't leave me!" 

"I-I-I-I'm not leaving you, darling, I'll be right here-" she struggled to lift her hand to point to his heart. "-and you ARE something. You're my everything, and that makes you a lot of something. I'll always be with you." 

Her breathing became more and more shallow, and he begged her to hold on, but she was already gone

I close my eyes and struggle to forget the pain and anguish Remus went through. Lily and James were killed soon after that, and I was locked away in Azkaban for twelve years. But now I'm free, I'm here with my true love. Remus is slowly getting over the pain of losing Ashley. I look at the alarm clock and see that its time to get up and go meet Dumbledore to hear him out on the Order of the Phoenix's new mission. 


End file.
